What does a mental health dietitian do?

Blog, Written by Cleo Massoura

June 23, 2026

A mental health dietitian works with individuals who have mental health conditions and require support with their nutrition, dietary choices and lifestyle.

The role of a dietitian

Dietitians are represented in diverse areas of specialities, including mental health. For context, a dietitian is a “qualified and regulated health professional that assesses, diagnoses and treats dietary and nutritional problems.” Both at an individual and wider public-health level.

I still remember the day during my university years that I had my first lecture in mental health dietetics. I was so drawn to learn more about what they do, and then I was fortunate enough to see this “in real life” during one of my student placements. On this placement I fell in love with this job and pursued this as my career.

Being part of the recovery journey of people living with mental health conditions. Being able to support them in every possible way and see them finding joy to continue moving forward. This is an irreplaceable feeling that we get as professionals.

Working as a mental health dietitian

To start with, as mentioned above, a mental health dietitian can work in places such as, but also not only, inpatient units, community and private settings. We work with people who have mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, dementia, learning disabilities, personality disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.

Now you may wonder, okay, but what exactly do you do? Well, here is the thing. There is a lot of evidence out there suggesting that mental health has a strong link with nutrition, and that’s what we advocate for.

Let me share some evidence with you that highlights the importance of mental health dietitians. Sadly, the life expectancy of people living with serious mental illness could be 15 – 20 years less than the general population. This is due to poor physical health (eg. cardiovascular health) seen in people with poor mental health. Additionally, higher prevalence rates of obesity are found within mental health units; as well as increased risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and abnormal blood cholesterol.

Malnutrition in mental illness

Cases of malnutrition are significant within mental health units – it is found that 1 of 5 new admissions are at increased risk. Emotional based food and fluid refusal within adult mental health also frequently leads to malnutrition. This concurrently links with clinical effects, such as depression, increasing length of stay and worsened infections.

Here is where dietitians come in to help! We make up part of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) with a strong knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions. Whilst taking into account people’s mental health, we support them to promote a healthy eating, maintain a good physical health and a positive relationship with food. There are times that our input may be limited due to communication difficulties in people with poor mental health. This is where an MDT approach, and collaborating with families is crucial to ensure the best support is offered.

Summary

In summary, some of the most common cases that we tend to help as mental health dietitians include: nutrition support due to poor nutritional intake; diabetes advice due to poorly controlled diabetes management; dietetic support secondary to emotionally based food and fluid refusal; dietary advice to help promote a healthier dietary intake and lifestyle; as well as any other reasons that may require our support.

If you are suffering from a mental health condition and you believe you would benefit from seeing a dietitian, we are here to help!

We are here to help

If you or someone you know is struggling to eat well while battling a mental illness. Our team of specialist dietitians is focuses on this area of mental health and eating disorders. We aim to support you in becoming your healthiest and best self while helping you achieve your personal goals. You can send us a message here or find out more about our services here.

Blog written by Cleo

Cleo is a specialist mental health dietitian at the clinic. With extended experience working in NHS adult mental health inpatient services, she provides a space where you feel heard, understood, and supported. Her approach is compassionate, collaborative, and non-judgmental, grounded in evidence-based practice.