Diet and psychological health: A case study

This article presents an example of the case study as a valuable methodological option for researching alternative and complementary therapies. This case study investigated the experiences of an individual in recovery from substance abuse who reported improvements in psychological symptoms following dietary changes. The underlying premise explored was that dietary or nutritional components can have a significant effect on psychological health and should therefore be used with other biopsychosocial approaches for the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. Until there is a shift in research priorities to encourage medical-cultural recognition of the impact of diet on psychological and physical health, smaller studies that rigorously investigate case reports can provide useful information to practitioners as well as laypeople.