Dietitians
Introducing Fatima Hallal Accredited Practicing Dietitian
Are you unsure if you are meeting your body's nutritional needs? Are you concerned about your appetite or relationship with food?
Do you suffer from any gastrointestinal discomfort, constipation or IBS?
Did you know that a dietitian can empower you to optimise your nutrition, significantly benefiting your mental wellbeing?
Diet and lifestyle changes are a significant contributor to mental wellbeing. Evidence suggests that mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, and postnatal depression, as well as symptoms experienced by people with ASD and ADHD, can benefit from a team approach, including a food first and whole body approach to your diet.
If you want a holistic approach to support your mental health and wellbeing, make #timetothrive and book an appointment with Fatima today.
This role statement was created by Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) working in mental health. It details the role of a dietitian working in mental health. The following is extracted from Dietitians Australia.
Eligible clients can access Medicare rebates to engage the support of an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. Read more here.
Importance of APDs in mental health
Dietitians are increasingly recognised as critical members of the mental health care team, helping to improve mental and physical health.
Diet plays a vital role for overall mental wellbeing. Healthy diets are linked with good mental health; poor diets are linked with poor mental health. Dietary support should form part of the core treatment of mental illness. When used in ongoing treatment for mental illnesses like depressive disorders, dietary support can help to prevent, treat or manage symptoms.
Mental illness and substance use often negatively impact both dietary intake and physical health. Food intake and overall health are also affected by medication side effects (such as increased appetite), symptoms of mental illness (like low motivation and low energy) and social determinants of health. If these concerns are not addressed, they can lead to physical illnesses like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The life expectancy of people experiencing mental illness and substance use disorders in Australia is 10-to-16 years shorter than the rest of the population, mainly due to poor physical health. Diet improvement is critical for both the prevention and management of physical illness.
What all APDs in mental health can do
Entry level competencies ensure all APDs can conduct assessments, diagnose nutrition issues, and develop, monitor and evaluate interventions. This applies to individuals, groups, communities, organisations, and population and systems levels. Dietitians in mental health have specific skills to:
Provide holistic nutrition care, taking into account critical issues in mental illness, including:
psychotropic medication side effects and nutrient interactions
risk of co-existing physical health conditions and relevant biochemical measures (including lipids, glucose, Liver Function Tests, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D)
behavioural, motivational, social, and financial challenges
concurrent addictions and substance use, disability, or cognitive impairment
risk of malnutrition, disordered food/eating patterns or food insecurity
Support lifestyle change using individualised nutrition advice and counselling, including practical strategies such as cooking groups, label reading, food budgeting, meal planning, and visual aids and demonstrations (such as food or meal portions).
Collaborate with clients, carers, families, GPs and all multidisciplinary team members to develop a realistic nutrition care plan.
Act as a resource to other health professionals, providing information about nutrition and mental health and why dietitians are essential in mental health care.
What APDs with greater experience in mental health can do
As APDs gain experience and expertise in their area of practice, they can take on more complex tasks. Dietitians experienced in mental health may:
Provide nutrition intervention using advanced counselling techniques, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and coaching skills, to enhance lifestyle change and client outcomes.
Use their knowledge of the side effects of prescribed or illicit drugs and their potential impacts on nutritional needs and food behaviours.
Identify a decline in mental state and inform an appropriate mental health clinician.
Understand and apply the principles of recovery-oriented, strengths-focused, and trauma-informed care to all aspects of nutrition care.
Apply understanding of the unique and varied food service needs and specific food service guidelines for mental health populations, catering to under and over-nutrition.
Advocate for the role of nutrition in mental health, inform policy and service development, provide training and education to other health professionals, and advise on nutrition screening, assessment, and discharge planning for mental health services.
Engage in research and quality improvement projects, contributing to the emerging evidence base in nutrition and mental health, as well as policy and service development.
What APDs in mental health don’t usually do
Dietitians work closely with other professionals to ensure the best outcomes for the people they work with. However, dietitians don’t always provide the same services as non-dietitian colleagues. Unless they have further training and an extended scope of practice, dietitians in mental health and addiction don’t usually:
Diagnose mental illness – refer to a GP or psychiatrist.
Conduct mental health risk assessment – refer to a psychologist, social worker or doctor.
Assess safety and functioning while cooking – refer to an occupational therapist.
Assess physical activity capacity – refer to an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist.
Assess swallowing difficulties – refer to a speech pathologist.
If you want to know more, download the complete role statement from Dietitians Australia.