Delving the role of nutritional psychiatry to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic induced stress, anxiety and depression

Abstract

Background The distressing COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on public mental health, and the importance of food and nutrients in several aspects of mental health has been recognized. People in isolation or quarantine suffer from severe stress, anger, panic attack, and anxiety. Scope and approach Although, people who have improved and progressed through medications or vaccines have reduced anxiety levels to some extent yet the efficacy of these measures, in the long run, remains a question. The review depicts that such negative emotional reactions were particularly higher in elderly individuals in the first wave than in other phases. The emotional and behavioral response to the COVID-19 pandemic is multifactorial. From different research studies, it has been found that stress scores were considerably higher for those engaging in unhealthy eating practices. This factor relies not only on external components but on personal and innate ones as well. In the present pandemic, the sustainable development of the food system would have been a major issue; this should be carefully restored to avoid a food crisis in the future. Key findings and conclusions Changes in mind-body interactions are triggered by psychosocial stresses such as interpersonal loss and social rejection. Physiological response (in terms of psychological stress) in COVID-19 affected patients varies due to individual physical health status. This review explores the relationship between nutrition and mental health as what we eat and think is interlinked with the gut-brain-axis. The role of dietary components along with the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet and use of psychobiotics in improving psychological distress in pandemic induced stress, anxiety and depression has also been discussed.

Reviewing the Underlying Factors of COVID-19 Induced Depression from Environmental, Nutritional, and Emotional Aspects

“…Thus, support is needed and vital to maintain mental health during the COVID-19. Finally, a healthy diet could also help to preserve mental wellbeing from depression given that nutrition is also vital for mental health [10,11]. Other potential underlying factors that might impact on mental health during the pandemic need further investigate in the future in consideration of the public wellbeing.…”

“…Secondly, lockdown restriction leads to limited grocery shopping, which further lead to alternative in diet system and even food insufficiency. According to nutritional psychiatry theories, nutrition gained from food intake is associated with mental wellbeing [10,11]. Finally, the pandemic also has direct emotional impacts on individuals, such as anxious feelings about losing loved ones [9] and feelings of loneliness due to social isolation, both of which are highly related to the development of depression [12].…”

“…Nutrition gained from food intake is vital for both physical and psychological wellbeing, which, however, it is hard to be secured during the pandemic due to restrictions on grocery shopping. Shabbir et al [11] conducted a literature review research to investigate nutrition as a mediator on COVID-19 induced mental health problems such as depression. Their paper comprehensively evaluated the eating habits during the pandemic and lockdown periods among different countries and found that people tended to develop unhealthy food system that was likely to increase depression level during COVID-19.…”

Global reports of takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy following COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Goss et al [28] , Sonigra et al [29] , Fazlollahi et al [32] , Elikowski et al [33] , Nyman et al [34] , Ghadri et al [35] , Ghadri et al [36] , Riad et al [37] , Shabbir et al [38] , Kaplan and Milstein [39] , Bogdanov et al [40] , Murugiah et al [41] .…”

Global reports of takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy following COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Medical management for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTS) is based on the presence or absence of hemodynamic stability and other complications. Patients who have complications such as acute heart failure without LV outflow tract obstruction should receive diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, and beta-blockers [44].…”