[Weight-related nutritional interventions for people with mental illness in psychiatric clinics in Germany]

The present study determined whether and in what form nutritional interventions exist for people with mental illness and obesity in psychiatric clinics in Germany.

All psychiatric hospitals in Germany were contacted via email with a questionnaire. In addition, information on nutritional interventions was extracted from the quality reports of all hospitals for the year 2023.

The estimate suggests that 20-30% of psychiatric hospitals in Germany could have weight-related nutritional interventions. These interventions are primarily conducted by nutritional professionals, mainly in the form of individual training sessions. Most often, 1-3 sessions are offered taking place once a week with a duration of 45-60 minutes.

This estimate suggests that only a few psychiatric clinics in Germany offer weight-related nutritional interventions. A nationwide expansion of these services should be pursued quickly.