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Examining nutrition knowledge, skills, and eating behaviors in people with severe mental illness: A cross-sectional comparison among psychiatric inpatients, outpatients, and healthy adults
Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) are at a higher risk for weight gain and metabolic syndrome, as well as malnutrition, partly due to unhealthy lifestyle choices. In this cross-sectional study by Mötteli et al., participants with severe mental illness were asked to rate their knowledge and proficiency in nutrition as well as any obstacles to eating healthily. In addition to interview data on nutrition knowledge, health-related variables, eating behaviors, personality traits, motivation, and attitudes, the authors evaluated anthropometric data, including body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio, in 65 inpatients and 67 outpatients at the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich against 64 healthy adults. The results showed that, in comparison to healthy controls, SMI patients had worse nutritional status and lifestyle, marked by disturbed (e.g., night eating) and unhealthy (e.g., excessive sugar consumption) eating habits. Their drive to eat healthily, culinary and food skills, and understanding of nutrition, however, did not differ much from those of healthy adults and did not change in response to changes in weight. These results indicate a pressing need for nutritional support for individuals with SMI, emphasizing the importance of educational, behavioral, and long-term strategies. [NPID: Severe mental illness, psychiatry, depression, psychosis, health, diet, nutrition knowledge, nutrition skills, eating behaviour]
Year: 2023
