Our Mission

When you step into an intersection of fields, disciplines, or cultures, you can combine existing concepts into a large number of extraordinary ideas. — Frans Johansson, author

%learn about nutrition mental health %The Center for Nutritional Psychology DEVELOPING A NEW AREA OF STUDY

We are working to define, develop, and promote the interdisciplinary field of nutritional psychology.

Nutritional psychology (NP) is the area of study that explores the interconnections between dietary intake and all aspects of psychological functioning, process, and experience for the purpose of promoting positive change in the mental healthcare system.  

We believe the future of mental healthcare includes a nutritional component, and are dedicated to advocating for this new model of change. CNP believes that all mental health professionals and dietitians should have formal knowledge of the interconnected relationship informing the diet-mental health relationship (DMHR), and this knowledge be considered a core concept within university education and professional training going forward.

OUR EFFORTS SUPPORT...

1 ADVOCACY & ADOPTION

  • Providing an advocacy platform for students, educators, professionals, policy-makers, and other interested individuals
  • Developing the field of study of nutritional psychology
  • Advocating for nutritional psychology's role in healthcare

2 PROVIDER EDUCATION

  • Developing an evidence-based education characterizing the diet-mental health relationship (DMHR)
  • Developing concepts, language, methods and principles that inform the field
  • Developing practice guidelines and standards for certification and licensure

3 RESEARCH CONSOLIDATION

  • Developing the infrastructure necessary to house DMHR-related research
  • Identifying, consolidating, and categorizing DMHR-related research
  • Using this infrastructure to inform language, concepts, and methods for use in formal education

WHO IS CNP FOR?

CNP serves as an online platform for the development, collaboration, and advancement of the field of nutritional psychology.

  • Mental health professionals wishing to learn psycho-educational tools in the field of nutritional psychology
  • Professionals desiring access to resources in the field of nutritional psychology
  • Researchers and clinicians needing a wider forum for communicating their findings
  • Individuals seeking to understand how dietary intake patterns impact mood, behavior, and mental health

THE CENTER FOR NUTRITIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AT A GLANCE

Developing the Field of Nutritional Psychology Since 2005

CNP-WRITTEN SUMMARIES

RESEARCH STUDY LINKS

RESEARCH CATEGORIES

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A NUTRITIONAL COMPONENT TO MENTAL HEALTHCARE

The term “nutritional psychology” is defined 2005
The first university course taught in nutritional psychology 2008
The Center for Nutritional Psychology (CNP) is founded 2015
CNP becomes a non-profit and next-gen curriculum launches 2021

CONTRIBUTE TO OUR MISSION

Do you have skills in a field relevant to NP and want to play a role in its development? Reach out for more information.