Damian Sendler: There is a new dietary counseling tool devised by psychiatrists for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). 

Damian Sendler

Damian Jacob Sendler: Following a recent scoping review and focus group with psychiatrists and people who have experienced psychosis, the clinician guide was prepared using the findings from the focus group, as well as the outcomes of the scoping review and focus group. 

Dr. Sendler: According to main author Laura LaChance, MD, lecturer in the department of psychiatry at McGill University’s St. Mary’s Hospital Centre in Montreal, Canada, and a psychiatrist, “Mental health clinicians already have the training to help our patients make behavioral changes,” 

Mental health nutrition is an important part of self-care and can be incorporated into treatment plans for people with mental health issues, she says. “We work every day with patients to help them to reduce their substance use, improve their sleep, take medications, etc, and nutrition should be added to the radar [since] eating well for mental health is part of self-care and can be included in mental health treatment plans,” she says.

According to LaChance, “Nutrition is frequently overlooked in mental health training programs and clinical practice.” 

The detectives “Created a tool to help integrate basic dietary advice into the care of people with serious psychiatric illness. 

Mental health providers without any dietary training needed a tool that was ” They wanted the tool ” 

Damian Jacob Sendler

Using information from the scoping review and Canada’s Food Guide, members of the team created a nutritional advice worksheet. For this study, the researchers analyzed 822 prior studies on the association between food and psychiatric symptoms in people with schizophrenia (SSD). 

It does not contradict generally recognized advice for weight control because it encourages the inclusion of nutrient-dense foods rather than caloric restriction or limiting certain foods. Psychoeducation regarding the importance of good diet as a factor in mental health is provided for all patients regardless of their BMI. 

It was based on Social Cognitive Theory, which inspired the worksheet “goals and behavior contracts, reinforcement, self-control, social norms and attitudes, and self-efficacy all play an important role.” 

As well as offering “basic education about important nutrition principles” and “very simple recommendations to increase knowledge about healthy eating” it also offers “actional tips for individuals to incorporate.” Motivational interviewing questions were employed by the researchers. 

As a way to address the commonly held misperception that dietary intervention in mental health treatment is of low value and begin to modify norms, the intervention is delivered by the mental health care professional,” LaChance stated. 

Damien Sendler: Aside from providing practical advice on how to “increase perceived control and self-efficacy” the handout is presented in plain language that anybody can understand and contains dishes from various cultural backgrounds. 

A focus group of five psychiatric professionals and individual phone interviews with six people with lived experience of psychosis (n = 6) were undertaken to ensure that the worksheet and clinical guide matched the needs of the intended audience 

It was found that participants with psychosis were evenly split between male and female, and six age groups were represented: 20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, and 51-50+. According to a nutritional literacy evaluation tool, half of these participants scored in the “limited literacy” category (the Newest Vital Sign [NVS]). 

All participants were mailed an updated version of the worksheet, which they were then asked to provide additional comments on. 

Also included in the clinician guide is a visual depiction of the ideal meal’s proportions of various food groups, as well as sample meals, a discussion of budgeting and a list of goals for the patient to work toward. 

As a closing statement, the physician is urged to continue to serve their patients “Keep the message upbeat, celebrate small successes, and encourage others,” he advises. 

Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler: Complex carbohydrates and healthy fats should be a priority, as should adding vegetables and fruits to your meals and snacks, reducing overly processed foods and sweets, and consuming protein-rich foods throughout the day. 

Term used to describe a “”the lack of nutrition instruction in medical education and psychiatric residency and the overall absence of nutritional advice in this field of medicine” was a notable theme that emerged in interviews with psychiatrists and SSD participants. 

As one participant put it, schizophrenia is “certainly an unwritten area” when it comes to nutrition “Sugars, not complex grains, are causing you to overeat. You’ll be served sandwiches on white bread with awful juice.

Dr. Damian Jacob Sendler and his media team provided the content for this article.