Ongoing research from Deakin University’s Food and Mood Centre indicates a significant connection between diet and mental health, particularly concerning disorders such as anxiety and depression. Centre director Distinguished Professor Felice Jacka was honored in June with the 2026 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Award for Asia and the Pacific, recognizing her extensive research into the association between diet quality and common mental health issues, thereby establishing the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry.
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Professor Jacka's studies reveal that diet is a crucial factor not just for physical health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, but also as a modifiable determinant of depression and anxiety. This research is beginning to influence clinical psychiatry guidelines. She noted that their recent studies showed nutrition and exercise, guided by dietitians and exercise physiologists, were as effective as psychological support.
"Diet and exercise support were as effective as psychotherapy delivered by clinical psychologists in alleviating depression," she stated. "It’s about getting the foundations right because everything else will work better once you do that."
The CALM trial, led by Adrienne O'Neil within the team, was published a few years ago, while the recent HARMON-E trial is currently under review at the BMJ. This latter study compares diet and exercise with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offered by clinical psychologists. Rather than determining superiority between treatments, it addresses the limitations in the mental health workforce in Australia, where many individuals face long waiting periods for psychological services.
Professor Jacka emphasizes that general practitioners could benefit patients by recommending dietitians and exercise physiologists while they wait for psychological therapy.
To help fill knowledge gaps regarding nutrition among general practitioners, Professor Jacka has collaborated with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to develop accredited training in nutritional psychiatry. She pointed out that surveys reveal less than 1% of health professionals feel adequately qualified in nutrition, despite the fact that common mental disorders often drive patients to GP clinics.
Professor Jacka is advocating for significant changes to the global food system, asserting that current industrial practices contribute to physical and mental health issues, premature death, and biodiversity loss. Her work includes collaborating on global policy and studies to quantify how dietary improvements could mitigate mental health burdens.
With half of all mental disorders beginning before age 14, she notes that many risk factors are not readily modifiable, making diet—a changeable factor—an important target for prevention. Alarmingly, young Australians typically consume an average of seven servings of junk food daily, highlighting a broader environmental issue affecting diets across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
Professor Jacka emphasizes the simplicity of healthy dietary choices for improving both physical and mental health, advocating for a plant-heavy diet that includes fermented foods. "A diet that’s good for your heart is good for your brain, and it's simple," she said.
The UNESCO Award provides her with a platform to share these findings globally. "Science is a mechanism for generating evidence to improve the world. That’s the point," she asserted. The free online course on food and mood developed by her team in 2019 has attracted over 95,000 participants from around the world.