# Diet and Mental Health Relationships in Caribbean Populations: A Scoping Review and Evidence Gap Map

## TL;DR

This study reviews diet-mental health research in Caribbean populations to identify gaps and guide future studies in culturally diverse contexts.

## Contribution

The paper provides the first evidence gap map of diet-mental health relationships in Caribbean populations.

## Key findings

- Most studies focused on food security and depression, with limited use of experimental or qualitative methods.
- Few studies used culturally adapted tools, and relationships like seafood intake and autism were frequently explored.
- The evidence base is growing but lacks scope, design diversity, and cultural validity.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Most research linking diet and mental health outcomes is from high-income countries, limiting insight into how these relationships manifest in culturally diverse, vulnerable contexts, such as the Caribbean. This scoping review aims to map existing research on the relationship between aspects of diet and mental health within Caribbean populations, to identify evidence gaps and guide future research. Methods: Eleven databases were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2024 in 33 Caribbean countries which assessed the relationship between diet and mental health outcomes. Duplicate screening and extraction were conducted using Redcap software, and a narrative synthesis and evidence gap map were created. The original protocol was registered with Open Science Framework. Results: Forty-four records were included, nine of which focused on eating disorders (examined separately). Most were cross-sectional studies of the general population, with few experimental and qualitative studies. Surveys were the most frequently applied data collection tool, often without mention of local adaptation or validation. Most records examined food security and depression as their ‘diet’ and ‘mental health’ variables, respectively. Frequently explored relationships included autism and seafood intake and fruit and vegetable intake, while depression and food security was the most widely examined relationship across studies. Conclusions: Caribbean research on diet–mental health relationships is growing though it is limited in scope, design, and cultural validity. Strengthening this evidence base requires studies whose primary aim is in nutritional psychiatry, using culturally relevant tools, and an expansion of study designs that incorporate Caribbean food systems and sociocultural contexts surrounding diet and mental health.