Critically Assessing Dietary Education for Adolescent Mental Health

This essay critically assesses the rationale and effectiveness of dietary education as a treatment for poor eating practices among adolescents experiencing mental health issues. The essay begins by exploring the importance of proper eating habits for adolescents, emphasizing the link between nutrition and mental well-being. It then delves into a literature search strategy, detailing the use of databases like MEDLINE and PubMed to gather relevant sources. The essay examines the impact of various nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids, on adolescent mental health. It further discusses the role of zinc, antioxidants, and vitamin Bs in reducing mental illness symptoms. The analysis incorporates research findings from various studies to support the arguments. The assignment also highlights the vulnerability of adolescents to mental health challenges and the need for interventions like dietary education. The essay addresses the effectiveness of dietary education in addressing these issues, supported by research and expert opinions, providing a comprehensive overview of the topic.

Running head: HEALTHCARE 1
Healthcare
Name
Professor
Course
Date

HEALTHCARE 2
Literature search
In research work, the aspect of search strategy plays a fundamental role. The whole idea
of search strategy, according to the researchers, it is to help learners to come up with secondary
sources that fully support the subject matter. Therefore, in this case, I have conducted a research
strategy that aided me in coming up with articles analyzing the topic. The aim was to come up
with five secondary sources from the healthcare database that will explain more on the topic
provided. Thus, I focused on the database, such as MEDLINE and PubMed. The two databases
in the field of healthcare contain different contents that support various topics. Therefore, I have
decided to use MEDLINE due to multiple reasons.
First of all, MEDLINE contains a significant number of sources. Thousands of
researchers have published their work in MEDLINE, thus making it easy for the learners to
borrow different ideas on the articles published. On the other hand, articles published in the
MEDLINE also have a standardized format that is approved by the field of medicine and
healthcare (Dute et al 2016). The idea is that the material in this database follows s chronological
whereby the first section contains a list of authors, the research topic, volume number, the year
of publication, and also the page number. Besides, the articles are arranged systematically, thus
making it easy to extract them when handling research work.
Therefore, concerning the assignment, I followed an unprecedented step to obtain the five
sources needed to discuss the topic. The first procedure was that is started by opening the
database, and I entered keywords that were relevant to the subject matter of this paper. The
keywords used to access the sources are; ADOLESCENTS, DIET, BOYS, IRON DEFICIENCY
ON PREGNANT WOMEN, AND ZINC IN FOOD. Besides, I also used keywords such as
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE, EATING HABITS, MENTAL HEALTH, and FOOD CHOICES.

HEALTHCARE 3
After entering these keywords, I was able to obtain sixty sources that had relevant information. I
also got 10 references from the PubMed database.
Therefore, to obtain the exact number of sources, I used the exclusion and inclusion
criteria. It is the best criterion that helps researchers to assemble sources that meet the research
objectives. Therefore, from the sixty sources, I eliminated forty articles, which, in my view,
lacked adequate information on the topic of this paper. After removing the sources obtained from
the databases, I thoroughly examined the remaining sources keenly paying attention to the
content. From the thirty sources, I was able to exclude ten sources since they lacked a clear
abstract explaining the topic. Therefore, the remaining twenty were also analyzed keenly.
After the analysis, I, therefore, found that fifteen sources had some weaknesses. The
sources had information that was published more than thirty years ago from today. Thus, I
deemed this information as outdated, and thus, I excluded them from the list. Therefore, the five
sources remaining, I used them to analyses the topic of the study. Besides, the sources had
unique criteria that helped me to summarize the whole concepts outlined by the authors. Also,
the articles fully elaborate on the appropriate treatment of dietary practices for adults with mental
challenges.
< 528 words>

HEALTHCARE 4
LITERATURE SEARCH TABLE

HEALTHCARE 5
Essay
Adolescents (10–19 years) is an extraordinary and developmental time. The group needs
appropriate eating habits, thus adding to avoid some mental issues. Various research explores
physical, social, and emotional developments like childhood violence, and poverty can increase
the likelihood of their mental health challenges. Advancing mental prosperity and shielding
teenagers from unfriendly encounters and hazard factors that may affect their capability to
flourish the basics for their prosperity during youth and their physical and psychological well-
being in adulthood.
Adolescent is a critical point for people growing and ensuring social and emotional
behaviors that are significant for mental health. These incorporate receiving sound sleep patterns,
taking regular exercise, critical thinking, relational aptitudes, and figuring out how to oversee
feelings. Stable conditions in the family, at school, and in the more extensive network are
additionally significant. An expected 10–20% of youths universally experience emotional
wellness conditions, yet these remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. Therefore, the paper
encapsulates the intervention necessary for bad diet practices for adolescents with mental
challenges.
Dute, Bemelmans and Breda, (2016) carried out a research that aimed at analyzing how
use of diet rich in minerals and vitamins will help adolescent to escape mental illness. According
to the study, we have different types of vitamins and minerals that can help adults to have
boosted their mental capacity. Most of these diets rich in the metals can increase the brain in
such a way that it will help adults to avoid stress and other diseases. Therefore, minerals such as

HEALTHCARE 6
selenium will help adults to have strong mental capacity. According to the researcher, educating
people to take diets rich in selenium will help them to avoid aspects such as anxiety. On the other
hand, increased intake of food with selenium also helps adults with mental challenges to have
improved moods, thus making it easy to manage depression and other illnesses. The idea is that
the article entirely focuses on the importance of eating food rich with selenium. Some of the
foods that must be taken to improve the mental capacity include the grains, the brazil nut, and
some seafood. The source has also emphasized educating adults with mental challenges to take
some supplements that contain selenium.
Various components decide psychological well-being results. The more hazard factors
teenagers are presented to, the more prominent the potential effect on their mental well-being.
Elements that can add to worry during pre-adulthood incorporate a longing for more noteworthy
self-governance, strain to accommodate with peers, investigation of sexual personality, and
expanded access to and utilization of innovation. Media impact and sexual orientation standards
can intensify the dissimilarity between a pre-adult's lived reality and their observations or goals
for what's to come (Ugurlu, Akca, & Acarturk, 2016). Other significant determinants incorporate
the nature of their home life and associations with peers. Savagery (counting brutal child-rearing
and tormenting) and financial issues are perceived dangers to psychological well-being. Kids and
teenagers are particularly helpless against sexual viciousness, which has an unmistakable
relationship with unfavorable mental wellness.
These incorporate young people living in helpful and delicate settings; teenagers with
incessant ailment, mental imbalance range issue, a scholarly inability or other neurological
condition; pregnant youths, immature guardians, or those in ahead of schedule or potentially
constrained relationships; vagrants; and teenagers from minority ethnic or sexual foundations or

HEALTHCARE 7
other separated groups. Young people with psychological well-being conditions are thus healthy,
especially defending against social prohibition, segregation, shame (influencing availability to
look for help), and instructive challenges, chance-taking practices, physical well-being, and
human rights infringement.
Besides, Dute et al (2016) also shows how improved use of vitamin D as well as Omega
3 fatty acids is essential for the adults with mental illness. The issue is that vitamin D always
helps human beings to avoid some of the danger signs and symptoms of depression as well as
stress. Teaching mentally challenged adults on the importance of vitamin D will make it easy to
control depression and stress all the time. The most preferred dietary rich in this type of vitamin
include the oily fish, the eggs, and also the beef liver. Continuous use of these diets will reduce
the aspect of stress.
Moreover, the use of Omega 3 fatty acids can help the adults to avoid the depressive. The
research supports that Omega 3 fatty acids play a crucial role in the human body. The idea is that
diets rich in Omega 3 fatty acids improve the functioning of the brain cells. Through this
analogy, it becomes easy for adults to avoid stress and depression all the time. Also, the Omega 3
fatty acids are fundamental in the human body since they preserve the sheath in brain cells that is
critical in protecting the nerve cells. Mobilizing mentally challenged adults to take foods such as
walnuts, the cold-water fish as well chia seeds will make it easy to escape mental challenges.
Consequently, Dute et al (2016) has also elaborated on how continuous use of diets rich
in vitamin Bs, antioxidants and also zinc will reduce mental illness. Healthcare articles and
magazines have been published to educate the public on the importance of diets rich in these
types of foods. The antioxidants are the foods that contain the vitamin, A, C and E. Most of these
foods helps the body to remove free radical that when left to accumulate in the body can lead to

HEALTHCARE 8
mental disorders. Besides, the radicals lead to anxiety and even depression, some of the
symptoms and signs of mental illnesses. The adults with mental challenges, therefore, have to
appreciate the importance of diets with the antioxidants. The issue of vitamin Bs also will play
an essential role in the formation of brain cells. Vitamin Bs have crucial elements that aid the
body in reducing the risk that is associated with stress and depression. Most of the diets, such as
eggs, meat, fish, and also milk, help the formation of brain cells.
Emotional disorders generally arise during youthfulness. Notwithstanding misery or
nervousness, teenagers with enthusiastic scatters can likewise encounter extreme touchiness,
dissatisfaction, or outrage. Manifestations can cover across more than one passionate issue with
fast and startling changes in mind-set and fervent upheavals (Ugurlu et al 2016). More youthful
young people may also create feelings related to physical side effects, for example, stomach hurt,
cerebral pain, or sickness. Internationally, depression is the fourth driving reason for illness and
incapacity among teenagers matured 15–19 years and fifteenth for those aged 10–14 years.
Nervousness is the ninth driving reason for teenagers aged 15–19 years and 6th for those aged
10–14 years. Passionate clutters can significantly influence regions like homework and school
participation. Social withdrawal can intensify segregation and depression. At its more terrible,
wretchedness can prompt suicide.
Encouraging people with mental illnesses to take diets rich in zinc will help to avoid
different signs and consequences of depression. The idea is that zinc is essential in the body.
Consequently, Dute et al (2016) supported on how zinc is necessary for adults, especially
pregnant women. Low levels of zinc in the body can lead to depression. Therefore, the idea is to
ensure that mentally challenged individuals are always consuming food rich in zinc. Also, zinc
will help the mentally challenged people perceive the taste of food. Through this analogy, it

HEALTHCARE 9
becomes easy for people with mental challenges to consume more diet rich in food. In response,
the aspects of depression, as well as stress, reduces, thus helping in treating mental disorders.
Diets such as whole grains, the beans, the oysters as well as chicken should be provided to the
people with mental health problems.
Youth conduct issue is the following driving reason for illness trouble in youthful young
people matured 10–14 years, and the eleventh driving reason among more established teenagers
developed 15–19 years (Ugurlu et al 2016). Youth social issue incorporates consideration
deficiency hyperactivity issue (portrayed by trouble focusing, unnecessary movement, and acting
without respect to results, which are in any case not proper for an individual's age) and first issue
(with manifestations of damaging or testing conduct). Youth social issues can influence young
people's instruction and may bring about criminal behavior.
Eating disorders ordinarily develop during immaturity and youthful adulthood. Dietary
issues influence females more generally than guys. Conditions, for example, anorexia nervosa,
bulimia nervosa, and voraciously consuming food issues, are described by unsafe eating
practices, confining calories, or gorging. Eating issues are impeding to well-being and frequently
coincide with sorrow, anxiety, and, additionally, substance abuse. It might be said that teenagers
are a healthfully helpless gathering for various explicit reasons, including their high prerequisites
for development, their eating examples and ways of life, their hazard taking practices, and their
powerlessness to natural impacts.
On the other hand, Kazdin, Fitzsimmons‐Craft and Wilfley (2017) has focused on the
need to appreciate best diets that will catalyze to increase the appetite for the people with mental
disorders. The idea is the people affected with depression, as well as stress, tend to lack taste.
Therefore, the article has revealed the essential concepts that will focus on the increasing

HEALTHCARE 10
appetite for people with mental challenges. The first step is to ensure that they consume snacks
and small portions of food regularly. Eating different meals, a day is more important for health
than eating the same diet every day. Moreover, to increase appetite for people with mental
challenges, they have to visit the doctor regularly.
Lacking nourishment in youthfulness can conceivably impede development and sexual
development, even though these are likely results of perpetual hunger in early stages and
adolescence. It can influence youths' ebb and flow well-being and put them at danger of
incessant ailment too, especially whenever joined with another antagonistic way of life designs,
regardless of whether the hindering impacts may take long to appear (Ugurlu et al 2016). They
are exacerbated with development, immature pregnancy uncovered both mother and kid to
unfriendly well-being and financial results, especially if the mother is hindered or
undernourished. Hard physical work, as generally saw in low-pay nations, may force extra
physiological pressure and dietary necessities in immaturity. In specific societies, from the outset
onwards, including youthfulness, young ladies are at high hazard due to sexual orientation
segregation. In a few nations of Asia, for example, the more unfortunate wholesome status of
ladies gets evident during youthfulness, with a deferral in development. Indeed, even in countries
like the USA and Canada, young people are considered as a healthfully powerless subgroup as a
result of their eating practices.
Most of the time, depression and stress can lead to poor eating habits. Therefore, it means
that visiting a doctor will be able to understand whether it is depression, decreasing appetite, or
not. Depression is easy to be treat, and thus, mentally challenged individuals have to seek
assistance from the doctor. Furthermore, the desire for people with mental diseases can be
increased by avoiding non-nutritious diets. These types of foods include tea as well as black

HEALTHCARE 11
coffee that sometimes reduces appetite. Also, avoiding a large intake of simple sugars will help
in increasing appetite. People with depression have to take more proteins and fats, thus making
the body replenish brain cells. Physical activities are also the primary concept that gears aspect
of appetite. All these concepts help to boost point of taste for people with mental challenges
(Kazdin et al., 2017).
Adolescents, especially young ladies, are progressively aware of their bodies, and this has
a direction on their eating routine. High school young ladies may exorbitantly confine their
vitality consumption out of a craving to be slim, which is an extra factor of well-being hazard.
Likewise, pre-adult young ladies as a gathering might be in danger of insufficient admission of
iron and calcium. Games may also increment physiologic stress hence maximizing nutritional
risk. The critical dietary issues confronting youths and their results will be looked into, trailed by
the principle elements of wholesome hazard. A reasonable system outlining the issues, and their
determinants is first proposed as an explanatory model for the investigation of sustenance related
issues in pre-adulthood around the world (Teasdale et al 2016).
The job of habitual diet education in the advancement of depressive issues and
indications has become an ongoing examination center over the previous decade. Information
from grown-up populaces has shown that a better-quality eating routine is related to better
psychological well-being outcomes. The truth be told, new meta-examinations have affirmed the
backward relationship between sound weight control plans and depression. A consistently
horrible eating routine (e.g., expanded utilization of Western handled foods) is likewise freely
connected with a more noteworthy probability of or hazard for depression and anxiety (Ugurlu et
al 2016). Although stress and despair can advance undesirable eating, late longitudinal

HEALTHCARE 12
investigations have proposed that turn around causality is a more uncertain clarification for long
haul affiliations.
Be that as it may, our comprehension of these affiliations before life expectancy stays
hazy. A significant part of the examination around the claim has concentrated on dietary
admission and other externalizing practices. For instance, poor healthful quality is autonomously
connected with the side effects of hyperactivity disorder. However, the connection between
dietary access in youth and puberty and disguising practices, which speak to burdensome
manifestations, the low state of mind, or uneasiness, has gotten less consideration similarly.
Given that the past literature in grown-ups concerning abstain from food and emotional
wellness has concentrated on the regular mental issue, melancholy and nervousness, assessment
of these equivalent psychological well-being parameters in kids and young people are required
(Teasdale et al 2016). As far as what proof is accessible to date, discoveries stay conflicting. For
instance, albeit a few investigations have watched a portion reaction connection between diet
quality and psychological wellness in youthful adolescents, others have demonstrated no
significant association. The proof is even less extensive for the link between dietary admission
and nervousness symptoms. As far as anyone is concerned, no precise surveys to date have
explicitly examined the relationship between diet and adolescence. Besides, no estimated
utilizing diet quality scores, dietary example investigation, or both and disguising practices that
describe low or burdensome disposition and anxiety manifestations among the adolescent.
The facts may confirm that youngsters and teenagers with disguising issues or side
effects eat all the more ineffectively as a type of self-medicine (Teasdale et al 2016). In any case,
it is similarly as possible that the impact of early dietary patterns and healthful admission
importantly affects influence. There are various potential organic pathways by which diet quality