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Mental health and wellbeing

Food is connected with mental health and wellbeing in a number of ways. As well as directly affecting mood, learning to cook and grow food has a positive impact on self-esteem, confidence and can be relaxing. Food preparation and meals are also social events that promote a sense of belonging and overall inclusion.

CFHS has worked with community food initiatives to highlight the impact that work involving food can have on mental health and wellbeing. We have funded training, held events to share practice and information, built capacity around self-evaluation and commissioned research and evaluation studies around community food, mental health and wellbeing.

Our plan for 2024/2025

CFHS is currently working with the Scottish Government, community food networks and our colleagues in Public Health Scotland to plan how the community food sector can be supported in the future.

News and updates

Meta-synthesis of findings from evaluations and qualitative interviews of work involving community food and its impact on mental health and wellbeing

This study commissioned by CFHS has now been completed and is available in the Publications library. The findings are the subject of an article which ...

Second Helpings

This  CFHS national learning exchange on food, mental health and wellbeing was held on Wednesday March 5, 10.00 – 3.45 at Discovery Point in Dundee ...

A rich picture

Participants from the Building Evidence of Impact programme met in Edinburgh on 4 July 2013 to share learning from their ongoing work on self-evaluation. Group members ...

Examining the evidence

CFHS has commissioned SCPHRP (Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy) at Edinburgh University to undertake an analysis of the learning from the work ...

Mind the Menu

This  event for community organisations working with food in the field of mental health and wellbeing took place on Wednesday June 6 at Discovery Point ...

Evaluation of funding for training in food, nutrition and health

In 2009, CFHS provided funding to community based mental health organisations to provide training in food, nutrition and health has now been evaluated. A report on the ...

Food, mental health and wellbeing bulletin

CFHS and the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health have produced a joint bulletin on the links between food, mental health and wellbeing. The bulletin ...

Training opportunities: community-based mental health organisations

Community Food and Health (Scotland) has funds available to support community based mental health organisations provide training to their staff and volunteers in food, nutrition ...