Connecting Nutrition and Mental Health for Teens

Includes one 4-page, ready-to-use English-language handouts specifically created for working with adolescent clients when discussing mental health and mental illness. 

This product includes the following pages, which can each be used independently or combined with other educational materials.

• Understanding Nutrition and Mental Health: A handout discussing generalized nutrition goals for adolescent mental and physical health and wellbeing. Handout discusses ways that nutrition and food impact different aspects of mental health and the role of nutrients in the body.
• Mental Health and Appetite: A handout describing common ways appetite and eating can be be impacted by mental illness and mental health medication. Includes a brief discussion of the impact of marijuana on appetite and recommends clients inform their mental health care team of ALL medications and substances they use.
• What about Eating Disorders?: A handout discussing common symptoms of eating disorders and risk factors for developing eating disorders. Describes disordered eating and different types of eating disorders. 
• Nutrition Advice for Mental Illness: A handout giving gentle nutrition and lifestyle advice for teens struggling with mental illness. Handout recommends clients prioritize eating regularly throughout the day, hydration, sleep, choose gentle movement, and stay connected with their mental health care team. Handout advises clients in mental health crisis to contact emergency services. 

Handouts feature a blue/green color scheme, teen-friendly, gender-neutral, and weight-neutral language, and offer age-appropriate explanations and examples throughout.

This product comes as a printable PDF.