Navigation
Nutrition in mental health: Insight from a survey among psychiatrists and psychologists
There is increasing evidence supporting the role of dietary interventions in managing major depressive disorder and other mental health conditions. According to the Healthy Lifestyles Hub, the WPA Action Plan 2023–2026 emphasizes the significance of enhancing and preserving mental health via healthy lifestyle choices, such as those pertaining to exercise, diet, and sleep hygiene. Improving communication between patients and psychiatric experts on these aspects is one of the plan’s main goals. A survey was conducted by Litta et al. (2024) between May and June 2024 using Google Forms. The questionnaire targeted mental health professionals, investigating their knowledge of nutritional psychiatry and their use of strategies to incorporate nutritional interventions in mental health care. The goal was to assess the understanding and attitudes towards nutrition in mental health among psychiatrists and psychologists practicing in Italy. Of the 110 participants in the study, 89.2% (n=91) were employed in southern Italy and included 61 psychologists, 46 adult psychiatrists, and 3 child psychiatrists. The next most common employers of the participants (77.98% female) were private practices (n=19, 17.27%), psychiatric residential facilities (n=22, 20%), hospitals (n=14, 12.73%), university research centers (n=4, 3.64%), and other unidentified institutions (n=10, 9.09%). Although the female representation was higher, it was not statistically significant. A consensus among professionals emerged on the need for further research in nutritional psychiatry, with no significant differences based on professional or gender. Regarding the significance of diet for mental health, there were no appreciable variations between professional groups. However, there was a clear demand for specialized training in nutritional psychiatry among psychologists. Additionally, a significant relationship was found between the number of years of professional experience and the need for nutritional training. There is a clear need for specialized training courses in nutritional psychiatry for both adult and child psychiatrists and psychologists to increase awareness of nutrition as an important factor in mental well-being within the biopsychosocial model. [NPID: Nutritional psychiatry, biopsychosocial model, diet]
Year: 2024
