OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY,

MENTAL HEALTH, & NUTRITION

Sarah Weihe

INTRODUCTION
PIO:
How can mental health occupational
therapists positively impact the diets of their
clients?

SIGNIFICANCE OF EBP TO
AREA OF CLINICAL PRACTICE
Individuals with mental illness are more likely to be obese than
individuals without mental illness (Mahony, Haracz, & Williams, 2012)
Obesity can negatively impact quality of life and participation in
everyday activities (Mahony, Haracz, & Williams, 2012)
Mood disorders have been linked to obesity, although in many
cases it is unclear which occurs first (Bazyk & Winne, 2013)
Occupational therapists can assist clients in making lifestyle
changes like meal planning and prepping

SEARCH STRATEGY
Chatham University Library Resource Database
Advanced Search Terms:
Nutrition
Occupational Therapy
Mental Health
Diet

Articles were selected based on relevance to the

role of occupational therapy in providing dietary
interventions to clients with mental health diagnosis

VOLUME AND NATURE OF

EVIDENCE
Evidence Level I
1 Article

Evidence Level II
1 Article

Evidence Level V
4 Articles

HOW MENTAL HEALTH OCCUPATIONAL

THERAPISTS ADDRESS ISSUES OF DIET
WITH THEIR CLIENTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Qualitative research Level V
Aimed to gain information from mental health occupational therapists
about how they address diet with their clients
Semi-structured interview of occupational therapists familiar with providing
diet-related interventions in mental health settings
Six concepts emerged from the data:
Occupational therapists provide interventions for clients who have issues performing
occupations related to managing their diet
Clients need to improve diet as part of a healthy lifestyle
Improving diet through skill development
Occupational therapists can advice on healthy eating but are not experts on dietary advice
Preparedness for healthy eating education
Gaps in mental health service provision (Mahony, Haracz, & Williams, 2012)

THE ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS IN THE

PROVISION OF DIETARY INTERVENTIONS FOR
PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS: RESULTS
FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY
Mixed methods- Level II
Aims to identify how occupational therapists working with
individuals with severe mental illness address their clients dietary
issues
Following a literature review the researches had 88 clinicians
working in the mental health field participate in a survey
This article identified that many clinicians felt that their patients
with severe mental illness did not understand the dietary advice
given by dietitians
Researchers found that clinicians are most likely to provide general
interventions aimed at lifestyle changes

A MULTI-TIERED APPROACH TO ADDRESSING

MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES SURROUNDING
OBESITY IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Literature Review- Level V
Aimed at presenting the findings from the current literature as it
relates to childhood obesity risk factors, mental health
consequences, and occupational therapys role (Bazyk & Winne, 2013).
Occupational therapy can collaborate with other disciplines and
teachers to provide a comprehensive approach to promote a
healthy lifestyle to all children using a multi-tiered strategy:
Tier one is aimed to all children
Tier two is aimed to include at risk children of obesity and mental health
challenges
Tier three is aimed at children who are already obese

SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE
Occupational therapists feel comfortable addressing the skills
necessary to maintain a healthy diet, but not give specific dietary
advice (Mahony, Haracz, & Williams, 2012; Williams, Magin, Sultana, & Haracz, 2016).
Occupational therapists can also work with clients to establish healthy
routines to implement in everyday life (Mahony, Haracz, & Williams, 2012)
Occupational therapys role in addressing nutrition with clients is an
emerging area of practice. Little evidence currently exists about how
occupational therapists working with individuals with mental health
diagnoses can provide diet and nutrition specific interventions.

REFERENCE LIST
Bazyk, S., & Winne, R. (2013). A multi-tiered approach to addressing the mental health issues surrounding obesity in children and
youth. Occupational Therapy In Health Care, 27(2), 84-98. doi:10.3109/07380577.2013.785643

Cahill, S. M., & Suarez-Balcazar, Y. (2009). The Issue IsPromoting childrens nutrition and fitness in the urban context. American Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 63, 113116.

Cordier, R., & Haracz, K. (2013). A behavioural weight-loss programme for overweight and obese adults with serious mental health illness
significantly reduced weight over an 18-month period. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 60(4), 304-305. doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12065

Dunne, A. (2012). Food and mood: evidence for diet-related changes in mental health. British Journal Of Community Nursing, S20.

REFERENCE LIST
CONTINUED
Mahony, G., Haracz, K., & Williams, L. T. (2012). How mental health occupational therapists address issues of diet with their clients: a qualitative
study. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59(4), 294-301. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1630.2012.01028.x

Williams, L., Magin, P., Sultana, J., & Haracz, K. (2016). The role of occupational therapists in the provision of dietary interventions for people
with severe mental illness: Results from a national survey. British Journal Of Occupational Therapy, 79(7), 442. doi:10.1177/0308022615620680