The Food Insecurity and Mental Health Research Category consolidates research exploring the relationship between food insecurity and mental health. Tara Cristobal-Rivera, CN, PsyD, is CNP’s Food Insecurity and Mental Health Contributor. To view each original study on the open internet, click Original. To view the CNP-written abstract summary, click CNP Summary. While only some of the CNP-written abstract summaries are available below for free, all abstract summaries are available to CNP members through the CNP Library Membership.
To learn more about food insecurity, visit Peace Corps’ Global Issues: Food Insecurity. For U.S. federal food assistance programs, click here. To learn about and support food banks globally, click here, and for information on food assistance in conflict zones, please visit the World Food Programme.
Since the poor health outcomes related to food insecurity may be more apparent in later life, Gyasi et al. (2020) analyzed the age and gender differences in the association between food insecurity with psychological disorders (PD) among older people in Ghana. The dataset was obtained from the 2016-2017 AgeHeaPsyWel-HeaSeeB Study, which included 1,200 individuals aged ≥50 years. Thirty-six percent complained of hunger, while other signs of food insecurity were breakfast skipping (29% prevalence) and consuming the first meal of the day late (observed in 5%). After adjusting the analysis model, presence of food insecurity significantly correlated with higher scores in the psychological disorder assessment, compared to absence of food insecurity. Additionally, having the first meal of the day late was related with a higher risk of having psychological disorders. These relationships were moderated by age and gender - men and those 65 years and over were more likely to have PD compared to women and those in the 50-64 age group. These results demonstrate that food insecurity independently increases incidence of psychological disorders in older people, which hopefully informs public health and policy interventions that support mental health enhancement in the elderly.
Systematic evidence and gap map of research linking food security and nutrition to mental health
Campus food pantry use Is linked to better health among public university students
Prevalence of food insecurity in people with major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia and related psychoses: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Food insecurity and risk of depression among refugees and immigrants in South Africa
Food insecurity is associated with cognitive function: A systematic review of findings across the life course
Prevalence of food insecurity in people with major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia and related psychoses: A systematic review and meta-analysis
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Unpacking the “black box” of global food insecurity and mental health
Food insecurity is associated with depression, anxiety, and stress: Evidence from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Food insecurity among people with severe mental disorder in a rural Ethiopian setting: A comparative, population-based study
Food insecurity, mental distress and suicidal ideation in rural Africa: Evidence from Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Poor mental health of livestock farmers in Africa: A mixed methods case study from Ghana
Family socioeconomic status and maternal depressive symptoms: Mediation through household food insecurity across five years
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Disability and mental health status as determinants of food Insecurity among immigrants in California
A systematic review and meta-analysis of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders in US adults with food Insecurity
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Relative food insecurity, mental health and wellbeing in 160 countries
Coping with food insecurity among African American in public-sector mental health services: A qualitative study
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Combined effects of disease management and food insecurity on physical and mental health in Korean adults
Addressing the interaction between food insecurity, depression risk and informal work: Findings of a cross-sectional survey among informal women workers with young children in South Africa
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
A call to action to address COVID-19–induced global food insecurity to prevent hunger, malnutrition, and eating pathology
Associations between food insecurity and psychotropic medication use among women living with HIV in the United States
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Complicating narratives of women’s food and nutrition insecurity: Domestic violence in rural Bangladesh
Food insecurity and emotional health in the USA: A systematic narrative review of longitudinal research
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Moderation of the association between individual food security and poor mental health by the local food environment among adult residents of Fling, Michigan
Association between adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet with food security and weight status in adult women
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
An overview of the sociological and environmental factors influencing eating food behavior in Canada
Food insecurity and psychological distress: A review of the recent literature
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Impact of food insecurity with hunger on mental distress among community-dwelling older adults
Association of food insecurity with psychological disorders: Results of a population-based study among older people in Ghana
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Food insecurity and mental health among females in high-income countries
Food insecurity is associated with anxiety, stress, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in a cohort of women with or at risk of HIV in the United States
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Needs and perceptions regarding healthy eating among people at risk of food insecurity: A qualitative analysis
Association of moderate and severe food insecurity with suicidal ideation in adults: National survey data from three Canadian provinces
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
Food insecurity and mental health status: A global analysis of 149 countries
'Eating to survive': A qualitative analysis of factors influencing food choice and eating behaviour in a food-insecure population