About
21
Publications
15,184
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Introduction
Sarah's research focuses on lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity as risk/protective factors for physical and mental health. She is a post-doctoral researcher at Baker IDI, and member of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University. Sarah's interests include public health, prevention and science translation.
Education
March 2014 - September 2017
September 2008 - May 2012
Publications
Publications (21)
Previous research has reported associations between diet and risk of depression and anxiety; however, this is underexplored in emerging adulthood (EA; 18–29 years). This systematic review examined associations between diet quality and common mental disorders and their related symptomatology in the published EA literature. A systematic search accord...
Aims
We aimed to explore the relationships between diet quality, dietary inflammatory potential or body mass index and outcomes of a clinical trial of nutraceutical treatment for bipolar depression.
Methods
This is a sub-study of a randomised controlled trial of participants with bipolar depression who provided dietary intake data ( n = 133). Part...
Objective Poor diet can be detrimental to mental health. However, the overall evidence for the effects of dietary interventions on mood and mental well-being has yet to be assessed. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis examining effects of dietary interventions on symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Method Major electronic databases...
Evidence suggests age and sex differences in risk factors for chronic disease. This study examined lifestyle and biomedical risk factors among men (m) and women (w) in early-middle (25–51 years), middle (52–64) and older (65+) adulthood. Cross-sectional data from the 2011–2012 Australian Health Survey (n = 3024) were analysed. Self-reported dietary...
Background:
Recently, the efficacy of dietary improvement as a therapeutic intervention for moderate to severe depression was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial. The SMILES trial demonstrated a significant improvement in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores favouring the dietary support group compared with a control group over...
The original version of this paper [1] did not specify that a website was used in the final year of recruitment, in addition to the other stated recruitment methods.
The SMILES trial was the first intervention study to test dietary improvement as a treatment strategy for depression. Molendijk et al. propose that expectation bias and difficulties with blinding might account for the large effect size. While we acknowledge the issue of expectation bias in lifestyle intervention trials and indeed discuss this as a...
Background
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) poses a significant health and financial burden to individuals and healthcare systems. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) possess numerous properties (e.g. anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, anti-lipidemic) that may be beneficial in the management of T2DM and its complications.
Methods
In this na...
Global assessments of burden of disease suggests there are sex differences in risk factors for chronic disease, including overweight/obesity, dietary patterns and habitual physical activity. Given that prevention efforts aim to target such factors to reduce disease risk, the age at which sex differences may occur is of particular interest. Early li...
Depression and type 2 diabetes (T2D) contribute significantly to global burden of disease and often co-occur. Underpinning type 2 diabetes is poor glycaemic control and glucose is also an obligatory substrate for brain metabolism, with potential implications for cognition, motivation and mood. This research aimed to examine the relationships betwee...
Abstract Background The possible therapeutic impact of dietary changes on existing mental illness is largely unknown. Using a randomised controlled trial design, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of a dietary improvement program for the treatment of major depressive episodes. Methods ‘SMILES’ was a 12-week, parallel-group, single blind, randomis...
The departure from traditional lifestyles and the rising disease burden of mental disorders are increasing global health concerns. Changes in diet around the world mean that populations are now increasingly reliant on highly processed, poor quality foods, which have been linked to increased risk for mental disorder. Conversely, a nutrient-rich diet...
Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disorder associated with increased rates of obesity and inflammation. Leptin is an adipokine that is mainly produced by the white adipose tissue in response to insulin. It stimulates the immune system, increasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. There is currently uncertainty regarding...
The globalization of the food industry has lead to substantial dietary changes across developed and developing economies, comprising a shift toward the consumption of higher energy, less nutritious foods at the expense of traditional, more healthful, dietary patterns (1). These dietary changes have led to clear public health challenges as the burde...
Although, the cost of food is commonly described as a barrier to consuming a healthy diet, the evidence for this viewpoint has been inconsistent to date. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a healthy diet is affordable for a sample population with major depressive disorder and current unhealthy eating patterns, enrolled in supporting th...
Researchers are now beginning to understand the ways in which bacteria living in the human gut—the gut microbiota—communicate with and influence brain health. The concept of a faulty "gut/brain axis" has been associated with various neurologic and psychiatric outcomes and is thought to be explained, at least in part, by immune dysfunction and infla...
Purpose of review: With depressive disorders the leading source of disability globally, the identification of new targets for prevention and management is imperative. A rapidly emerging field of research suggests that the microbiome-gut-brain axis is of substantial relevance to mood and behaviour. Similarly, unhealthy diet has recently emerged as a...
Purpose of review:
With depressive disorders the leading source of disability globally, the identification of new targets for prevention and management is imperative. A rapidly emerging field of research suggests that the microbiome-gut-brain axis is of substantial relevance to mood and behaviour. Similarly, unhealthy diet has recently emerged as...
Projects
Projects (2)
Using a randomised controlled trial design, we aim to investigate the efficacy and cost-efficacy of a dietary program for the treatment of Major Depressive Episodes
The aim of my PhD is to determine the relationship between the prenatal diet and gut health of mothers and their infants. As part of this, I am running an RCT study trialling a dietary intervention delivered during pregnancy called the Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids study.
Study website:
https://www.mcri.edu.au/research/projects/healthy-parents-healthy-kids-study
Study registration:
https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=370939&isReview=true
