Food skills assessment tools for people with a mental illness

The present review defines food skills assessment tools and explores reasons for assessing food skills. The purpose of the present review was to consider tools appropriate for assessing food skills in people with a mental illness. Six assessment tools met the selection criteria: (i) the Rabideau Kitchen Evaluation, Revised; (ii) the Moss Kitchen Assessment; (iii) the Kitchen Task Assessment; (iv) the Functional Needs Assessment Program for Chronic Psychiatric Patients (Nutritional Management Program); (v) the Routine Task Inventory; and (vi) Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, 2nd edition. Each assessment tool was reviewed for criteria including strengths and weaknesses, the original target population, psychometric properties, scoring system and training requirements for the interviewer. The review concluded that food skills in people with a mental illness can be measured in many different ways; therefore, the precise reason for making the assessment should be established prior to selection of the assessment tool to ensure the most suitable method of assessment is chosen.