Mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress are becoming more common worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between dietary inflammations scores (DIS) and lifestyle inflammation scores (LIS) and the risk of depression, stress, and anxiety in a large sample of Iranian adults.

This study was based on 5579 adults (20–70 years) who participated in the Yazd Health Study (YaHS). The DIS score was calculated from the intake of 19 food groups and the LIS score was derived from four components. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (ORs) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) of depression, stress, and anxiety across quartiles of DIS and LIS.

2749 of the participants (46 % male) had anxiety, depression and stress. According to the adjusted model, there was a positive association between LIS and the risk of anxiety (OR: 1.23, 95 % CI: 1.01–1.49) and depression (OR: 1.39, 95 % CI: 1.14–1.69, P for trend: 0.03). However, there was no significant association between LIS and the risk of stress. There was also no significant association between DIS and the risk of anxiety, depression and stress.

This study demonstrated that higher LIS scores were associated with depression and anxiety. It is suggested that following a LIS that includes smoking status, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and body mass index as indicators of the inflammatory promoting lifestyle, may increase the risk of depression and anxiety.