Depression Symptoms Could Be Improved With Short Dietary Intervention

Young adults with moderate to severe depression could see improvement in their symptoms following a brief dietary intervention, according to a recent study.

Previous research has shown an association between diet and risk of depression, but few randomized controlled trials have been conducted on the subject, according to the new study’s authors.

To explore the effects of diet on depression symptoms in young adults, they conducted a randomized controlled study involving young adults with elevated depression symptoms who consumed poor diets. The 101 participants were randomly assigned to either a 3-week dietary intervention or to continue their habitual diet. Symptoms of depression were measured using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale– 21 depression subscale. Current mood, self-efficacy, and memory were also evaluated.

At completion of the study, data was available for 38 participants in each of the groups. Overall, the diet group had significantly lower self-reported depression symptoms than those in the control, with reductions in Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale– 21 depression subscale scores persisting at 3 months after the completion of the intervention.

“The current intervention involved such a small degree of face-to-face contact and very little cost or risk, thus there are few downsides to adopting this approach to improving mood. Conversely, there is a lot to gain not just in terms of improvements to mood but also in enhanced physical health outcomes. We hope these findings provide the impetus for future research examining whether the recommended diet can be sustained over longer durations in this population and whether the effects on depression symptoms are maintained.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Francis HM, Stevenson RJ, Chambers JR, et al. A brief diet intervention can reduce symptoms of depression in young adults – A randomised controlled trial [published online October 9, 2019]. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222768.