Eating for Mental Health

The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Northern Lakes affiliate provides support, education and advocacy for people living with mental illness by facilitating peer and family support groups, hosting community building events, leading free crisis intervention training, and more for three rural counties in upstate Wisconsin. One of the organization’s most important endeavors is operating a drop-in center that provides a safe place for adults in active recovery from mental illness and substance use disorders to have a meal and some compassionate company five days-a-week. These activities and more are accomplished by only three, part-time volunteer staff members in an area burdened with a significant need for both physical and mental health support.

NAMI staff recognized their lack of knowledge about the role nutrition plays in mental health and requested educational materials for volunteers to better advise their clients. The objective of this project was to create gentle, non-judgmental incomes introducing the concept of Eating Competence and providing information referring clients to additional nutrition services. The organization will use these materials in their outreach activities and to help answer questions from community members about how eating and nutrition can affect their health.

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Project Type(s): MPH Fieldwork

Author(s): Clair Werch

Program(s): Master of Public Health

Year: 2024

Adviser(s):

• Anne Lund