Friends not food: A scoping review into veg*an mental health and psychosocial wellbeing

Past research suggests veg*anism mostly elicits negative social consequences, including interpersonal conflict and reduced quality of social relationships. Given interpersonal conflict and poor-quality social relationships are associated with poorer mental health, the social consequences elicited by veg*anism could conceivably influence mental health, though few studies have investigated this. We conducted a scoping review to examine if veg*an related social consequences influence individuals' mental health. Three databases were searched (PsycINFO, ProQuest and Web of Science), identifying 4813 papers that were assessed for relevance, with 55 papers included in the review. Our findings indicated veg*anism frequently elicits negative and positive social consequences, that varied considerably between studies. Potentially indicating differences in approval of veg*anism between different social environments. Mixed results were found when comparing the mental health of veg*ans with omnivores. Some studies suggested veg*ans report poorer mental health while others reported no differences. Research methodologies used may have influenced these findings. Only two studies directly investigating if social consequences influence mental health were identified. Our findings suggest relationships between veg*anism, social consequences, and mental health exists. However, this relationship is likely complex and more methodologically robust research replicating findings is needed.