Schuch, Felipe B.Waclawoscky, AlineTornquist, DeboraOyeyemi, Adewale L.Sadarangani, Kabir P.Takano, KeisukeTeychenne, MeganBalanzá-Martínez, VicentO'neil, AdrienneRomain, A. J.Mcgrath, AislingAlselmi, AlejandroAndrade-Lima, AluísioZanetti, Ana Carolina GuidorizziTrompetero-González, Andrea CatalinaHeissel, AndreasSilva, Angel Fonseca DaBenavides, Angela Carolina ZambranoRuusunen, AnuCristi-Montero, CarlosWeise, CorneliaPires, Daniel AlvarezSilva, Danilo R.P.Pelupessy, Dicky C.Dos Santos, Eduarda BitencourtCaputo, Eduardo LuciaCritselis, ElenaDragioti, ElenaMatthews, EvanDe Jesus-Moraleida, Fabianna ResendeGomes, Fabiano AlvesBachtiar, FarahdinaSilva-Junior, Fernando LopeseSallem, HebasalaMoura, HelenaWomboh, IdooGrabovac, IgorMeyer, Jacob D.Ramos-Diaz, JanoBueno-Antequera, JavierDe Oliveira, JêniferDeenik, J.Soto-Sánchez, JohanaVan Der Kaap-Deeder, JoleneLeo Ng, JonathanLópez-Gil, José FranciscoFirth, JosephTeixeira, Julia AmaralNikonov, Juan RamiroFarrer, Louise M.2026-09-152026-09-152044-6055PubMed:41526014https://hdl.handle.net/1885/733815472Introduction Students enrolling in higher education often adopt lifestyles linked to worse mental health, potentially contributing to the peak age onset of mental health problems in early adulthood. However, extensive research is limited by focusing on single lifestyle behaviours, including single time points, within limited cultural contexts, and focusing on a limited set of mental health symptoms. Methods and analysis The UNIversity students' LIFEstyle behaviours and Mental health cohort (UNILIFE-M) is a prospective worldwide cohort study aiming to investigate the associations between students' lifestyle behaviours and mental health symptoms during their college years. The UNILIFE-M will gather self-reported data through an online survey on mental health symptoms (ie, depression, anxiety, mania, sleep problems, substance abuse, inattention/hyperactivity and obsessive/compulsive thoughts/behaviours) and lifestyle behaviours (ie, diet, physical activity, substance use, stress management, social support, restorative sleep, environment and sedentary behaviour) over 3.5 years. Participants of 69 universities from 28 countries (300 per site) will be assessed at university admission in the 2023 and/or the 2024 academic year and followed up for 1, 2 and 3.5 years. Ethics and dissemination The study was first approved at a national level in Brazil (CAE:63025822.8.1001.5346). Study sites outside Brazil obtained additional ethics approval from their institutions using the main approval. Results from the UNILIFE-M cohort will be disseminated through scientific publications, presentations at scientific meetings, press releases, the general media and social media.This study is supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (#444435/2023-9 and #314105/2023-9), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior CAPES (Grant #001), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (#23/2551-00001) and NFAP – UK ACADEMIES (SN). These funding agencies had no role in the design or conduct of the study. The research team retained full autonomy in all aspects of the study, including data analysis, interpretation of results and preparation of both the draft and final versions of the manuscript.10enPublisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026.BehaviorHealthMENTAL HEALTH2026-01-1210.1136/bmjopen-2024-085006105027196315