Researchers surveyed 110 Italian psychiatrists and psychologists to see if they discuss nutrition and diet with their patients. While most doctors said they do talk about food choices, they don’t do it consistently or in a structured way. The study found that psychiatrists were more likely to discuss nutrition than psychologists, and female doctors reported knowing more about nutrition’s connection to mental health. The Mediterranean diet was the most commonly recommended eating pattern. The researchers concluded that while mental health professionals are interested in using nutrition to help patients, they need better training and clearer guidelines to make this a standard part of treatment.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether mental health doctors (psychiatrists and psychologists) talk to their patients about food and nutrition, and how much they know about the connection between diet and mental health
  • Who participated: 110 mental health professionals in Italy, including both psychiatrists and psychologists of different genders
  • Key finding: Most mental health professionals discuss nutrition with patients, but they do so inconsistently and without a clear system. Psychiatrists were more likely to bring up diet than psychologists, and female doctors reported having more knowledge about how food affects mental health
  • What it means for you: If you’re seeing a mental health professional, they may discuss diet with you, but it might not be a regular or structured part of your treatment. You may want to ask your doctor about nutrition’s role in your mental health care, as this is an emerging area of medicine

The Research Details

This was a cross-sectional survey, which means researchers asked a group of people questions at one point in time rather than following them over months or years. The researchers created a survey and gave it to 110 Italian mental health professionals (psychiatrists and psychologists) asking about their knowledge of nutritional psychiatry, their attitudes toward using diet as a treatment tool, and whether they actually recommend dietary changes to their patients.

The survey collected information about what doctors know regarding the connection between food and mental health, whether they believe diet can help with psychiatric conditions, and how often they discuss nutrition with their patients. The researchers also looked at differences between male and female doctors, and between psychiatrists and psychologists, to see if these groups approached nutrition differently.

This type of study is useful for getting a snapshot of current practices and beliefs, but it doesn’t prove cause-and-effect relationships or show whether recommending diet actually improves patient outcomes.

Understanding what mental health professionals currently know and do about nutrition is important because it shows whether an emerging field called ’nutritional psychiatry’ is being used in real clinical practice. If doctors aren’t trained or equipped to discuss nutrition, patients might miss out on a potentially helpful treatment approach. This study helps identify gaps in training and practice that need to be addressed.

This study provides useful information about current practices, but has some limitations to keep in mind. It surveyed only Italian professionals, so the results may not apply to other countries with different training systems. The study relied on doctors’ self-reports about what they do, which may not always be completely accurate. The researchers didn’t verify whether the doctors’ knowledge claims were actually correct, and they didn’t measure whether patients actually benefited from the nutritional advice given.

What the Results Show

The survey found that most mental health professionals in Italy do discuss nutrition with their patients, which is encouraging. However, this discussion happens inconsistently—meaning some doctors do it regularly while others do it rarely or only in certain situations. There wasn’t a standardized approach to how nutrition was integrated into treatment.

Psychiatrists (medical doctors specializing in mental health) were significantly more likely to discuss nutrition and recommend dietary changes than psychologists (non-medical mental health professionals). This difference may exist because psychiatrists have more medical training and are more accustomed to thinking about how physical health affects mental health.

The Mediterranean diet—a way of eating based on foods common in Mediterranean countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain—was the most frequently recommended eating pattern. This diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and olive oil, and has been studied for its potential mental health benefits.

Female psychiatrists reported having significantly higher knowledge about nutritional psychiatry compared to male psychiatrists. This suggests that gender may influence how much doctors learn about and apply nutrition in their practice.

The study also found that psychiatrists were more likely to use dietary strategies as a preventive approach—meaning they recommend nutrition changes to help prevent mental health problems or related physical health issues before they develop. This preventive approach is important because it suggests some doctors are thinking about nutrition as part of overall wellness, not just as a treatment for existing problems. The research highlighted that while interest in nutritional psychiatry is growing among Italian mental health professionals, the actual integration of nutrition into standard psychiatric care remains limited and inconsistent.

This study aligns with growing international recognition that diet plays a role in mental health. Previous research has suggested connections between certain eating patterns and conditions like depression and anxiety, but most mental health professionals haven’t been trained extensively in nutrition. This Italian survey confirms what researchers suspected: even though the science is emerging, doctors aren’t yet routinely using nutrition as a standard treatment tool. The findings support calls from other researchers for better training and guidelines in this area.

This study has several important limitations. First, it only surveyed professionals in Italy, so the results may not apply to other countries. Second, the study relied on doctors reporting what they do and know, rather than directly observing their practice or testing their actual knowledge—doctors may overestimate or underestimate their knowledge and actions. Third, the study didn’t measure whether patients actually improved when doctors discussed nutrition with them. Finally, the study didn’t explain why some doctors engage more with nutrition than others, so we can’t determine the reasons for the differences found.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, mental health professionals should consider incorporating nutrition discussions into their standard practice, ideally with training and clear guidelines. Patients seeking mental health care may benefit from asking their doctor about the role of diet in their treatment plan. However, nutrition should be viewed as a complementary approach alongside other proven treatments like therapy and medication, not as a replacement for them. The research suggests that collaboration between mental health professionals and registered dietitians could improve the quality of nutritional guidance provided to patients.

This research is relevant to anyone receiving mental health treatment, mental health professionals themselves, and healthcare systems developing treatment guidelines. It’s particularly important for people interested in holistic approaches to mental health that include lifestyle factors. However, this study should not be used to replace standard psychiatric treatment. People with serious mental health conditions should continue working with qualified mental health professionals and not rely solely on dietary changes.

If a mental health professional recommends dietary changes as part of your treatment, realistic expectations would be to see gradual improvements over several weeks to months, similar to other lifestyle changes. However, this study doesn’t provide specific information about how quickly people might notice benefits from dietary changes, so individual experiences will vary.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your weekly nutrition discussions with your mental health provider and note which dietary recommendations they suggest. Rate your mood and mental health symptoms on a scale of 1-10 weekly to see if changes in eating patterns correlate with changes in how you feel
  • Use the app to set a specific dietary goal recommended by your mental health provider (such as ’eat Mediterranean-style meals 4 times per week’) and log your progress. Share your nutrition tracking data with your healthcare provider to create accountability and get feedback
  • Establish a monthly check-in where you review your nutrition adherence and mental health symptom patterns together. Track not just what you eat, but also your mood, energy levels, and mental health symptoms to identify any correlations over time

This study surveyed what mental health professionals currently do and know about nutrition, but does not provide clinical evidence that dietary changes will treat mental health conditions. Nutrition should be considered a complementary approach to mental health care, not a replacement for established treatments like therapy, medication, or other evidence-based interventions. Always consult with your mental health provider and a registered dietitian before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have a diagnosed mental health condition. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.