Lack of Mental Health Support During COVID-19 Pandemic

People experiencing food insecurity during COVID-19 pandemic neglect mental health care services to prioritize over food need required care.

Americans experiencing food insufficiency three times are more likely to lack mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic than those not experiencing food insufficiency, according to a new study published in Public Health Nutrition.

The most extreme form of food insecurity is food insufficiency that occurs when families do not have enough eat.

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‘Food insufficiency during COVID-19 pandemic is linked to lack of mental health services and increased use of antidepressant medications.’

Among 68,611 adults participated in the US Census Household Pulse Survey in October 2020 ,11% reported food insufficiency. Of those, 24% also reported an unmet mental health need compared to 9% of food-sufficient adults.

"Hunger, exhaustion, and stress related to not getting enough food to eat may lead to depression and anxiety," says lead author, Jason Nagata, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.

People experiencing food insecurity prioritize food over other needs such as seeking health care. They use considerable time and energy to navigate food pantries and free meal services, or locate and visit affordable food stores.

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Food insufficiency is also associated with higher use of psychiatric medications: 27% of food-insufficient adults reported psychiatric medication use compared to 19% of food-sufficient adults.

"To better address these problems, medical professionals, social workers, and clinicians can screen patients for both symptoms of anxiety and depression to ensure they have sufficient access to food," says co-author Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

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Researchers claim that clinicians should assess for food insecurity and provide referrals to food assistance programs.

Policymakers also should focus on increasing funding for food assistance and mental health services as part of pandemic relief legislation.

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Expanding access to supplemental food programs may reduce the need for more mental health services during the pandemic.

Source-Medindia