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Culinary medicine cooking workshops as add-on therapy for inpatients with depression and eating disorders
This research investigates the integration of culinary medicine as a holistic approach to address mental health disorders, particularly depression and eating disorders, where disturbances in eating habits and mood are prevalent. Unlike conventional psychiatric treatments that primarily rely on pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions, culinary workshops present an innovative supplementary strategy for inpatient care. The study evaluated five cooking workshops conducted by a professional chef and a nutritional therapist, involving 39 psychiatric inpatients (29 with depression and 10 with eating disorders). Participants completed questionnaires assessing dietary habits, mood, and feedback on the workshops both pre- and post-intervention. Results indicated high acceptance, with 90% of participants recommending the workshops for recovery. Statistically significant improvements in mood were noted across the overall cohort, including reductions in sadness (p < 0.001), hopelessness (p = 0.002), and tiredness (p = 0.003). Notably, patients diagnosed with depression exhibited enhancements in nearly all mood subscales, while those with eating disorders showed significant improvement in sadness (p = 0.029). In conclusion, culinary medicine workshops represent a promising intervention for ameliorating mood and alleviating feelings of hopelessness and fatigue among inpatients with depression. Furthermore, these workshops encourage sustainable lifestyle modifications that may positively influence long-term physical and mental health. Future research is warranted to investigate the long-term effects of such interventions on psychiatric disorders. [NPID: Culinary medicine, nutrition, cooking, workshops, depression, sadness, fatigue, mood]
Year: 2024
