Nutritional Psychiatry: Exploring and Additional Approach to Clinical Care

Session Description: There is a high incidence of nutritional deficiency in those ailing with addiction and mental illness. We also know that there are high comorbidity rates of addiction and mental health disorders with chronic disease. The concept of nutritional psychiatry is the application of using foods and supplements to augment mental health treatment. Research has shown that dietary interventions can help improve mental health and overall well-being. Largely based in the gut-brain axis, the dietary approach to the food-mood connection is implemented to address inflammation in the body -often the culprit of persistent mental and physical symptoms. The Mediterranean Diet has been largely studied in this area, not only with chronic disease but with addiction and mental health. We know there are nutrient dense foods that can be incorporated into eating that can help individuals improve mood and overall health. This workshop will teach the concept of the gut-brain axis as it relates to the food-mood connection and mental health, the pillars of nutritional psychiatry, review the most commonly linked nutrients to mental health and how to incorporate nutritional suggestions into practice. Participants will apply foundational knowledge of the food-mood connection, nutritional psychiatry, and describe ways to implement principles into care within the addiction and mental health populations.