Last updated on June 15th, 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of people around the country. The CDC reports that symptoms of anxiety and depression have increased considerably in the U.S. in 2020. Up to forty percent of adults in the U.S. today are struggling with mental health or substance abuse.
For those seeking help for these issues, the counseling and therapy provided by mental health and substance abuse programs can be life-changing.
In a recent survey from the National Council for Behavioral Health, 52% of its members said the demand for their organization’s services increased in 2020. Of the members who offer substance use disorder services, 50% said the use of those services increased in 2020 as well.
If your behavioral health community is seeing an increase in the need for services, then you need to ensure your dining program is equipped to help these patients. Many factors can influence mental health, such as genetics, life experience, and socioeconomic status, but research shows that nutrition can also play a positive role in substance abuse recovery and in improving a person’s overall mental health.
What is Nutritional Psychiatry?
Nutritional Psychiatry is a new field that studies the role of nutrition in mental health treatment. Researchers in this field are studying the connections between our gut bacteria and their effect on the brain. About 95% of serotonin is made in the gastrointestinal tract, which is lined with millions of nerve cells. The vagus nerve in a person’s body connects the gut and the brain, and it’s responsible for sending messages back and forth. Because of this connection, the food someone eats can affect their mood, cognition, and mental health.
In fact, studies have found that patients with depression had lower levels of certain gut bacteria and that the abundance of several other types of gut bacteria can correlate to the severity of schizophrenia symptoms.
Since this field is relatively new, current research is limited, but one trial called the SMILES Trial examined the role of diet in treating moderate to severe depression. Over 12 weeks, participants in the trial received either dietary counseling or social support in addition to their current treatment for moderate to severe depression. The dietary intervention encouraged eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, oily fish, extra virgin olive oil, legumes, and raw nuts. It also allowed for moderate amounts of red meat and dairy.
At the end of the study, those in the dietary counseling group saw significant improvements in depression symptoms, including 32% achieving remission. These improvements remained even when scientists accounted for variables like BMI, physical activity, and smoking. Only 8% of the control group receiving social support achieved remission.
Why Does Nutrition Play a Role in Substance Abuse Recovery?
Chronic substance abuse can change the body’s ability to maintain proper nutrition. Alcohol, opioids, and stimulants can cause a loss of appetite and change our ability to effectively absorb nutrients from food. Plus, 35% of people who abused alcohol or other drugs have had eating disorders, a rate 11 times greater than the general population.
Good nutrition is essential to substance abuse recovery because, as we mentioned above, proper nutrients have a positive effect on mental health. When a patient checks into substance abuse rehab, they will need to get sober and also retrain their bodies to accept nutrients again.
Depending on the substance, a recovery plan can vary from patient to patient. For instance, alcohol abuse can cause severe deficiencies in essential nutrients like folic acid, vitamin B6, and thiamine. Lack of these nutrients can cause anemia, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, and even increase the likelihood of developing neurological conditions. A meal plan that resolves these nutritional deficiencies will aid in recovery.
Those going through opiate withdrawal may experience diarrhea and vomiting, which can lead to a lack of nutrients. These people need a well-balanced, high-fiber diet to aid in recovery and alleviate these symptoms.
Stimulants, like crack and cocaine, can reduce someone’s appetite while they’re using. This may lead to weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration. Regular meals and fluids are important to their recovery.
Your dining team must know how each substance can affect nutrition and what specific treatment plans look like for various patients.
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How Your Dining Program Can Aid in Recovery
A good food service team can partner with your organization to provide the proper nutritional support for mental health and substance abuse patients. While some large food service management companies have a one size fits all menu approach, Culinary Services Group can work with your team to provide a menu tailored to the nutritional needs of the patients you serve. Our specialized software helps us track patient nutrition individually, ensuring every client receives the nutrients they need for wellness and recovery support.
Plus, we offer nutritional education to patients, as well as vocational training. This means that we provide residents with in-kitchen training to prepare them for a food service career once they leave your care to help them get back on their feet. This is important because studies have found that nutrition education can improve treatment outcomes for substance abuse patients.
Our nutritional education shows patients what a good diet looks like, how to make healthy foods for themselves, how to create shopping lists, and how to navigate the grocery store well after they leave your behavioral healthcare community.
We specialize in dining programs for healthcare settings. Our food-first approach to nutrition and wellness aligns well with recovery goals. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help, contact us here.
