Clear mind with clean eating

A world-first study by Deakin University has shown simple improvements to diet can be a cost-effective way to help treat depression.

Deakin researchers published ground breaking evidence last year that demonstrated diet could be used as a treatment, and new research shows it can also be a cost-effective way to help turn people’s lives around.

The economic analysis, published in BMC Public Health, looked at the Deakin Food & Mood Centre’s SMILES trial- the first to show dietary changes can be used as treatment for clinical depression.

Deakin’s Dr Mary Lou Chatterton said for this intervention to be used more widely it needed to be proven cost-effective.

“Our new analysis looked at comparative costs in things like counselling, healthcare visits (or GP visits), medicine, food, travel, and lost productivity to evaluate whether a dietary intervention like this provides value for money.

“What it showed was that when it came to the SMILES trial, those who received support to eat a Mediterranean-style diet had lower overall costs compared to the comparison group.

“The lower cost was partially due to fewer health professional visits, such as to doctors, dentists, and psychologists. The participants on the dietary intervention also reported less time lost from unpaid activities such as housework and childcare.”

In addition to their usual treatment for depression, each participant on the dietary intervention was able to access up to seven face-to-face sessions of personalised dietary advice and nutrition counselling from an accredited practicing dietitian.

The economic analysis factored in the dietitians’ wage costs, as well as food costs from the recommended Mediterranean diet which was estimated at $26 a week lower than money spent on food prior to the trial; overall healthcare costs were $856 lower and average societal costs were $2591 lower for the diet group over the 12 weeks of the trial.

“We already know that dietary counselling is cost-effective when it comes to the management of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” Dr Chatterton said.

“But these results indicate that providing support for people with depression to improve their diet may be a cost-effective strategy to reduce mental health symptoms too.”

SMILES creator Felice Jacka said diet wasn’t the only cause of or solution to depression, but could support the overall health and functioning of people, in addition to treating their depressive symptoms.