Navigation
Effect of food insecurity on depression, anxiety, and stress among resettled Syrian refugees in Ontario
This study by Zangiabadi et al. (2024) sought to study the pervasiveness of food insecurity and its correlation with depression, anxiety, and stress among resettled Syrian refugee parents in Ontario. Conducted as a cross-sectional investigation, it involved 540 Syrian refugee parents residing in Ontario for an average of four years, each with at least one child under 18 years. Food insecurity was assessed by querying whether participants had ever reduced their food intake due to insufficient food or financial resources. Levels of anxiety, depression, and stress were gauged using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). The findings revealed that 44.6% of respondents experienced food insecurity, with 7.6%, 8.9%, and 8.5% declaring severe to extremely severe grades of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. Notably, the regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between food insecurity and heightened levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The authors comment that these results underscore the importance of implementing effective governmental interventions and frameworks to alleviate food insecurity among resettled Syrian refugees, thereby enhancing their mental health outcomes and overall well-being. [NPID: Food insecurity, refugees, Ontario, mental health, depression, anxiety, stress]
Year: 2024
