ABSTRACT
Among health researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and decision makers, there are concerns about the growing global and ethical issue of food insecurity [1], defined as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable food in socially acceptable ways [2]. The impact of food insecurity on mental health is significant and may be attributed to its associations with suboptimal diet [3-5], and psychological issues such as depression, eating disorders, and impaired cognition [6-9]. Of the few investigations that have examined food insecurity in populations with confirmed diagnosis of a mental health condition, results have indicated an association with food insufficiency [10] and that patients in a psychiatric emergency unit who lacked food security had higher levels of psychological distress compared to food-secure individuals [11]. In a previous study of the determinants of food intakes in a sample of adults with confirmed
mood disorders conducted by the authors [12], a high prevalence of inadequate intakes of several micronutrients (e.g., folate, vitamin B12, iron, zinc) was found. As part of this investigation, the authors also included food insecurity screening questions and measures of psychological symptoms, as it was speculated that food access would be associated with both dietary intake and mental function in this population. To further understanding of food insecurity in specific mental health populations, we used data from the study of adults with mood disorders to answer the following research questions: (1) what is the prevalence of food insecurity compared to a general population sample?; and (2) is food insecurity associated with poorer nutrient intakes and psychological function? It was hypothesized that in this sample of adults with mood disorders, food insecurity would be: (1) significantly more prevalent than in the general population; (2) associated with suboptimal nutrient intakes based on defined standards; and (3) associated with poorer psychological functioning.
