An Exploration of Health Professionals' Views of Diet Intervention for Psychosis Management

Abstract

Psychosis has a large impact on individuals and their families and current treatment approaches are not fully efficacious. The formation and function of the brain are dependent upon nutrients, supplied through the diet. Despite this, evidence indicates that the diets of people living with psychosis are nutritionally suboptimal. The aim of this qualitative research study was to seek the views of healthcare professionals experienced in psychosis management on the role and core components of dietary intervention for psychosis management. The study was conducted following the Medical Research Council's (MRC) framework's approach to the development and evaluation of complex healthcare interventions. The data were thematically analysed and constructed into four themes: (1) ‘A desire for more knowledge on diet in relation to psychosis management’; (2) ‘Balancing duty of care around diet within services’; (3) ‘Health Professionals' perceptions of dietary habits of people with psychosis’; and (4) ‘Factors to consider when developing and implementing a diet intervention for psychosis’. Findings from these key stakeholders suggest value for diet intervention within psychosis management, delivered by trained health professionals within National Health Service (NHS) mental health services. The evidence-based diet intervention should be accessible to patients and should lead to the necessary dietary knowledge and skills acquisition for patients and their families. The principal recommendation following this research is to develop a diet intervention for psychosis management with additional stakeholder involvement, including NHS mental health service commissioners and academics responsible for health professionals' pre- and postregistration curricula.