Course Description
This course intends to clarify many of the misconceptions and myths about the role of Nutrition in Mental Health. It will serve to empower those with a strong interest in the subject with knowledge of the importance of Nutrition in maintaining wellness. The course aims to address our country’s current mental health crisis by educating health care workers with practical tools that can be used as part of patient education. (3 credits)
Prerequisites
- BIO 105: Nutrition OR BIO 212: Anatomy and Physiology
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- ENG 102: English Composition 2
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Describe the role of nutrition in mental health.
- Discuss the role of nutrition in the larger wellness matrix as it applies to mental health.
- Demonstrate competency in scope of practice issues pertaining to nutrition and mental health counseling and education.
- Examine how the gut-brain link impacts mental health.
- Investigate how epigenetics and nutrigenomics pertain to mental health.
- Demonstrate competency in understanding the relationship between nutrients and mental health.
- Demonstrate competency in understanding dietary patterns which contribute to positive mental health outcomes.
- Evaluate the evidence for nutritional interventions in one mental illness and write a research paper.
- Critique the usefulness of dietary supplements and the role that these can play in prevention, treatment / adjunctive therapy in mental health disorders. Choose one and write a research paper based on the evidence.
- Design a nutrition and mental health-focused questionnaire that can be used as a screening tool for further education and or referral.
- Create a one-page educational ‘take-away’ (infographic, patient handout or bulleted list) which summarizes the importance that nutrition plays in maintaining positive mood.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 30% |
Quizzes (Weeks 3 and 6) | 30% |
Nutrition & mental health questionnaire (Week 6) | 10% |
Dietary supplements & mental health or nutrition & mental illness research paper (Week 7) | 20% |
Nutrition & mental health educational “take- away” summary (Week 8) | 10% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
- This course uses Open Educational Resources (OER). OER are openly licensed, educational resources that can be used for teaching, learning and OER may consist of a variety of resources such as textbooks, videos and software that are no cost for students.
Course Schedule
| Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1,2,3 | Topics: Introduction Readings: |
|
2 | 1,4 | Topics: Gut Brain-Link Readings:
Videos: |
|
3 | 1,5 | Topics: Epigenetics & Nutritional Genomics Readings: Videos: |
|
4 | 1,6 | Topics: Nutrients & Mental Health Readings: |
|
5 | 1,7 | Topics: Dietary Patterns & Mental Health Readings: |
|
6 | 1,7,8,10 | Topic: Mental Illness & the Role of Nutrition in Depression, Anxiety, ADHD & Dementia Readings:
Video: |
|
7 | 1,9 | Topic: The Evidence for Dietary Supplements in Mental Health Readings: |
|
8 | 1,2,11 | Topic: Mindful Eating and Practical Takeaways Readings: |
|
COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.