Limited access to prenatal dietary support in regional and rural Australia increases the risk of perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA), adversely affecting child cognitive outcomes. A new clinical trial, involving midwife nutrition coaches, aims to enhance support during pregnancy to promote better outcomes. Researchers from Deakin University’s Institute for...
A team of researchers from Deakin University’s Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) have received almost $1 million in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to investigate the feasibility of using a probiotic yoghurt, used to support gut bacteria, to improve depressive symptoms...
So, you are feeling down and seeking professional help. You’ve got your GP and psychologist but maybe it is time to add a few more players… Who else to include in your professional team? Firstly, you don’t need to figure this out alone. Your GP can help understand your...
We all know that feeling. Waking up sleep deprived and reaching for a caffeinated beverage, sugary snack or a carb hit to make it through the day. But just how much does our sleep shape what we eat and vice versa? There are actually several theories about how and...
Researchers from Deakin University’s Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation’s (IMPACT) Food & Mood Centre have received funding totalling close to $1 million through the 2023 Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Post-Acute Sequalae of COVID-19 (PASC) grant. Deakin Distinguished Professor Felice Jacka and Dr Amelia McGuinness...
Food & Mood researchers have published a world-first trial in Lancet Regional Health showing that lifestyle therapy is equally as clinically and cost-effective as psychotherapy for helping relieve depressive symptoms in adults who experienced mental health distress during the Covid-19 pandemic. Led by Professor Adrienne O’Neil, the Curbing Anxiety...
Experts state we are facing a loneliness epidemic and some of us are more vulnerable than others. In the last 20 years one in five Australians have consistently reported ‘often’ feeling lonely and during the COVID-19 lockdowns loneliness reporting rates increased to almost 1 in 2 Australians. Young adults...
Most of us know that physical activity is important for our physical health and is increasingly recommended for our mental health. Exercise, as defined in scientific literature, is a form of physical activity that is intentional, and done in leisure time for the purposes of either recreation or health....
Dietary fibre is an essential part of a healthy diet and is important for many functions in the body such as regulating bowels, increasing satiety (fullness), and regulating blood cholesterol, glucose, and insulin levels. While the benefits to physical health are clear and consistent, a growing body of evidence...
The TANDIM trial published in the Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics journal delivered some exciting findings relating to the Mediterranean Diet in people who have irritable bowel syndrome as well as symptoms of common mental disorders such as anxiety and/or depression. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common and debilitating...