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Does food insecurity cause anxiety and depression? Evidence from the changing cost of living study
Food insecurity poses significant challenges not only to nutrition but also to mental well-being. This research investigates the causal relationship between food insecurity and the development of anxiety and depression, using data from the Changing Cost of Living Study, which tracked participants in the UK (n=244) and France (n=240) between September 2022 and August 2023.
The analysis reveals that food insecurity is a predictor of increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 8-item (PHQ-8) used for measurement. Adjusting for variables such as gender, age, temporal factors, and prior mental health, the study confirmed that participants experiencing food insecurity exhibited notably higher levels of anxiety and depression concurrently. The effect sizes were comparable for both GAD-7 and PHQ-8 scores.
Moreover, changes in food security status were shown to correspond directly with variations in mental health symptoms. Standardized effects indicated that a one-unit increase in food insecurity was associated with a 0.15 increase in GAD-7 scores and a 0.11 increase in PHQ-8 scores, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 0.08-0.22 and 0.03-0.18, respectively. This finding underscores the equivalence in the severity of mental health deterioration when individuals became food insecure compared to the improvement seen upon regaining food security.
In line with Granger causality principles, food insecurity in one month was associated with worse mental health outcomes in the subsequent month, even after controlling for existing mental health issues. This suggests a direct causal link between food insecurity and subsequent rises in anxiety and depression symptoms.
The study concludes that the repercussions of food insecurity on mental health manifest swiftly, typically within a month, and can be reversed just as quickly once food security is restored. Hence, it advocates policy measures to alleviate food insecurity, emphasizing that such interventions could yield immediate and clinically significant improvements in mental health. [NPID: Food insecurity, mental health, anxiety, depression]
Year: 2026
