Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Jul;79(3):279-290.
doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12754.

Effectiveness of dietary interventions in mental health treatment: A rapid review of reviews

Tracy Burrows  1   2 , Scott Teasdale  3   4 , Tetyana Rocks  5 , Megan Whatnall  1   2 , Julia Schindlmayr  6 , Janice Plain  7 , Georgina Latimer  8 , Michelle Roberton  9 , Deanne Harris  10 , Adrienne Forsyth  11
Affiliations
Review

Effectiveness of dietary interventions in mental health treatment: A rapid review of reviews

Tracy Burrows et al. Nutr Diet. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Aim: This rapid review of reviews aimed to determine the extent of research undertaken on the effectiveness of dietary interventions for individuals with a mental disorder.

Methods: Three databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Reviews and Cochrane Trials) were searched to February 2021 for systematic reviews including experimental studies assessing the effectiveness of dietary interventions with physical or mental health related outcomes in adults or children with one or more of: severe mental illness, depression or anxiety, eating disorders, or substance use disorder. Results are presented descriptively.

Results: The number of included reviews was 46 (67% in severe mental illness, 20% in depression and anxiety, 7% in eating disorders, and 7% in substance use disorders). Most reviews were published since 2016 (59%), and included studies conducted in adults (63%). Interventions in the eating disorders and severe mental illness reviews were predominantly education and behaviour change, whereas interventions in the substance use disorders, and depression and anxiety reviews were predominantly supplementation (e.g. omega-3). Twenty-eight and twelve of the reviews respectively reported mental health and dietary outcomes for one or more included studies. Most reviews in severe mental illness, and depression and anxiety reported conclusions supporting the positive effects of dietary intervention, including positive effects on weight-related or mental health outcomes, and on mental health outcomes, respectively.

Conclusions: A larger number of systematic reviews were identified which evaluated dietary interventions in individuals with severe mental illness, and depression and anxiety, compared with substance use disorders, and eating disorders. Dietary intervention is an important component of the treatment that should be available to individuals living with mental disorders, to support their physical and mental health.

Keywords: diet therapy; mental health; rapid review; scoping review; treatment efficacy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

All members of the research team are members of Dietitians Australia. Julia Schindlmayr is a staff member of Dietitians Australia. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Search dates of included systematic reviews – severe mental illness. Search start dates described as ‘from database inception’ are recorded in the figure as 1900. Bradshaw 2005 and Nover 2013 are missing from the figure as full information on search dates was not reported.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Search dates of included systematic reviews – depression and anxiety. Search start dates described as ‘from database inception’ are recorded in the figure as 1900.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Search dates of included systematic reviews – eating disorders. Search start dates described as ‘from database inception’ are recorded in the figure as 1900.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Search dates of included systematic reviews – substance use disorders. Search start dates described as ‘from database inception’ are recorded in the figure as 1900. Galduroz 2020 is missing from the figure as full information on search dates was not reported.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. GBD 2017 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators . Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2018;392:1789‐1858. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kessler RC, Angermeyer M, Anthony JC, et al. Lifetime prevalence and age‐of‐onset distributions of mental disorders in the World Health Organization's world mental health survey initiative. World Psychiatry. 2007;6:168‐176. - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM‐5. 5th Edition ed. American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
    1. World Health Organization . International Classification of Diseases for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (11th Revision). World Health Organization; 2018.
    1. Australian Institute of Health & Welfare . Mental Health Services in Australia. Australian Institute of Health & Welfare; 2021. Accessed 2021. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-ser...

Publication types