The effect of nutritional management on the mood of malnourished patients

Starvation and weight loss are common accompaniments of severe illness. The functional consequences of such malnutrition include not only physical changes but also psychological changes such as depression, anxiety, irritability, apathy, poor sleep pattern and loss of concentration. We carried out a pilot observational study in 22 undernourished patients at the time of referral to the nutritional team and after 8 days of nutritional support, using the Profile of Mood States Score (POMS) questionnaire to determine whether measurable and clinically significant changes in mood occurred with treatment.