The research behind it
The Mental Health Plate describes seven activities that research consistently shows are important for our mental wellbeing. The original model was developed in 2012 by American psychiatrists and brain researchers, mainly David Rock and Daniel Siegel, to explain in a simple way the brain’s basic need for recovery and balance. It has been translated and adapted for young people and Swedish conditions by the organisation Det syns inte and the researcher Sissela Nutley. The knowledge is spread through Det syns inte’s materials for schools and healthcare (in Swedish), and through Nutley’s books (Distraherad, Hälsosegrar and För en bättre framtid, in Swedish).
The page in brief
- The Mental Health Plate is based on research into what makes us feel well.
- Our genes affect how we feel, but what we do every day matters too.
- The model was developed in 2012 by researchers in the USA.
- Det syns inte and the researcher Sissela Nutley have adapted it for young people in Sweden.
- The model does not say exactly how much time to spend on each part. It helps us see our own balance.
- It is never too late to change your habits.
It is never too late to build good habits.
Our genes and living conditions affect how we feel, but research also shows that what we do every day can change how we feel. Genetic differences explain about a third of the variation in people’s wellbeing (Røysamb et al., 2023). Even though not everything can be changed, randomised studies suggest that changes in our behaviour, habits and everyday surroundings can improve how we feel quite a lot (Folk & Dunn, 2024; Wilkie et al., 2026).
The Mental Health Plate is based on the same principle as the plate model for food: by showing the different parts of a healthy lifestyle, it becomes easier to understand how our habits affect how we feel. In Det syns inte’s version, food lies as a ring around the plate, because regular meals give energy for everything else. Other research stresses the importance of telling young people what they themselves can do to build good habits and prevent mental ill health (Ekman et al., 2021).
The Mental Health Plate is not a fixed allocation of time to be spent on different activities every day. Instead, it is a thinking aid for understanding the brain’s basic needs and how we can create balance in everyday life. Since everyone is different, there is no universal recipe for how the activities should be divided. The model can, however, help us reflect on our own balance – are there slices we are missing completely, or ones we want to cut down on?
It is never too late to build good habits. The brain is malleable and adapts to our environment and our behaviour. That is why it is important to spread knowledge about how we can influence our own mental health through small changes in everyday life. What would you like to make more room for in your Mental Health Plate?
Relevant sources
- Rock & SiegelRock, D., Siegel, D., Poelmans, S.A.Y. & Payne, J. (2012). The Healthy Mind Platter. Neuroleadership Journal, 4, 1–23.
- Ekman et al.Ekman et al. (2021). A Flourishing Brain in the 21st Century: A Scoping Review of the Impact of Developing Good Habits for Mind, Brain, Well-Being, and Learning. Mind, Brain and Education.
- Røysamb et al.Røysamb, E., Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., Ystrøm, E. & Nes, R. B. (2023). Worldwide Well-Being: Simulated Twins Reveal Genetic and (Hidden) Environmental Influences. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(6), 1562–1574. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231178716
- Folk & DunnFolk, D. & Dunn, E. (2024). How Can People Become Happier? A Systematic Review of Preregistered Experiments. Annual Review of Psychology, 75, 467–493. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-022423-030818
- Wilkie et al.Wilkie, L., Fisher, Z., Geidel, A. et al. (2026). A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of well-being-focused interventions. Nature Human Behaviour, 10, 715–726. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02369-1
- Bakkman, Ekblom & NutleyBakkman, Ekblom & Nutley (2021). Hälsosegrar. Norstedts. ISBN 9789113116389. In Swedish.
- NutleyDistraherad – Hjärnan, skärmen, krafterna (Natur & Kultur, 2019, 2022). Bakkman, Ekblom & Nutley (2021) Hälsosegrar (Norstedts). För en bättre framtid (Liber, 2025). All in Swedish.
Want to work with this at school?
Det syns inte is a school programme about mental health, the brain and life with screens. It is built on drama films and research, and is used by teachers, mentors and school health teams together with the students. The programme’s website is in Swedish.