44191 As Food Insecurity Worsens During COVID-19, Negative Mental Health Impact on Community Members Increases

Food insecurity affects approximately 8.4 million people in the UK, one of the worst levels in Europe. Food insecurity is associated with poor diet quality and obesity; however, the drivers of this relationship are unclear. This study used a qualitative approach to explore factors that influence food choice and eating behaviour in a food-insecure population in Liverpool, UK. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with adults (N=24) who were clients at foodbanks. The interviews were informed by a semi-structured interview schedule, which focussed on access to food, factors influencing food choices, and strategies used to conserve food. Interview transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Six themes were identified; ‘Income’, ‘Cost of food’, ‘Accessibility of shops’, ‘Health issues’, ‘Food rationing strategies’ and ‘Worsened health outcomes’. Income was the most salient factor influencing participants’ food choices with all participants reporting a constant struggle to afford food. Food decisions were primarily based on cost; most participants valued eating healthily but could not afford to do so. Strategies to ration food included skipping meals, consuming small portions, cooking in bulk, and prioritising children’s food intake. The majority of participants reported pre-existing physical and/or mental health issues, but these were exacerbated by poor access to food leading to a vicious cycle of stress and worsening health issues. In conclusion, participants’ food choices and eating behaviour seemed to be most strongly influenced by their level of income. Findings also highlight the mental health impact of food insecurity. Initiatives addressing income and the cost of healthy food are required.

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Utilizing Rapid Research Implementation and Collaborations to Assess the Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Community and Clinical Cohorts

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2021.121 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Samantha S. Corley ◽

Christina Gillezeau ◽

Lucero Molina ◽

Naomi Alpert ◽

Adriana Eugene ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

New York ◽

Health Impact ◽

Self Report ◽

Community Members ◽

Research Implementation ◽

York Metropolitan Area ◽

Research Initiative ◽

Mental Health Difficulties ◽

Initial Survey

Abstract A research initiative was launched during the initial COVID-19 outbreak by three New York metropolitan area institutions. Collaborators recruited community members and patients from previous research studies to examine COVID-19 experiences and mental health symptoms through self-report surveys. The current report descriptively presents findings from the initial survey characterized by both community and clinical cohorts, and discusses challenges encountered with rapid implementation. The clinical cohort exhibited higher rates of symptoms of mental health difficulties (depression, anxiety, and PTSD) as compared to the community cohort. COVID-19 positivity rates were similar among both groups and lower than the national average. While both groups reported low rates of job loss, community members reported higher rates of financial difficulty resulting from the pandemic. Findings indicate the need for further collaborative research on the mental health impact of COVID-19.

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Heterogeneous Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19: Costs and Benefits

10.31234/osf.io/ahmf8 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anthony D Mancini

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Impact ◽

Costs And Benefits ◽

Substantial Variation ◽

Mental Health Functioning ◽

Health Functioning ◽

The Social ◽

Mental Health Costs ◽

Long Term Impact

In this commentary, I argue that the mental health impact of COVID-19 will show substantial variation across individuals, contexts, and time. Further, one key contributor to this variation will be the proximal and long-term impact of COVID-19 on the social environment. In addition to the mental health costs of the pandemic, it is likely that a subset of people will experience improved social and mental health functioning.

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Trajectory of Food Insecurity and Its Association with Longitudinal Mental Health and Sleep Outcomes in Adolescents from Economically Disadvantaged Families

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13051696 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 1696

Author(s):

Ting-Hsuan Lee ◽

Jen-Hao Kuo ◽

Chia-Yi Liu ◽

Yi-Fang Yu ◽

Carol Strong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Economically Disadvantaged ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Transition Period ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Estimating Equation ◽

Health Problems ◽

Disadvantaged Families

Background: Adolescence is a critical transition period in the course of human development. Although food insecurity (FI) has been shown to be associated with adverse mental health and sleep outcomes in US adolescents, there is a paucity of research examining the relationships between FI, mental health, and sleep outcomes in Taiwanese adolescents. Furthermore, it is unknown how the change of FI over time (i.e., the trajectory of FI) is related to health outcomes. Methods: The data come from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty, which is a national longitudinal project measuring FI in five survey waves (2009–2017). We employed group-based trajectory modeling to classify various FI trends over the five waves using STATA. Furthermore, a generalized estimating equation analysis was conducted with FI trajectories as the independent variable to see how FI trajectory is related to mental health and sleep outcomes. Results: In total, 1921 participants aged 12–18 years in the first wave were deemed valid for the analysis. We classified the participants into four FI trajectory groups: persistently low FI (24.8%), persistently moderate FI (64.7%), declining from high to low FI (4.1%), and food-secure groups (6.4%). As compared to food-secure adolescents, the persistently moderate FI group was more likely to have mental problems (β = 0.30, [95% confidence interval 0.21–0.38]), while the other FI groups were only marginally associated with mental health problems. Moreover, adolescents in the persistently low FI group (β = 0.13, [0.02–0.23]) and persistently moderate FI group (β = 0.39, [0.29–0.48]) were found to have more sleep problems than those in the food-secure group. Conclusions: Our study describes the FI profile of adolescents from economically disadvantaged families and the difficulties they might encounter. With this information, healthcare providers can aid adolescents in the early stages of mental health problems and provide guidance when appropriate.

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A qualitative evaluation of Southwark Council’s public health response to mitigating the mental health impact of the 2017 London bridge and borough market terror attack

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11447-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sandra Jumbe ◽

Adrienne Milner ◽

Megan Clinch ◽

Jonathan Kennedy ◽

Richard J. Pinder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Qualitative Evaluation ◽

Health Impact ◽

Health Needs ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Terror Attack ◽

Terror Attacks ◽

Physical Injuries ◽

Community Stakeholders ◽

Health Response

Abstract Background Over recent years there have been several major terror attacks in cities across Europe. These attacks result in deaths, physical injuries, and pose long-term threats to mental health and wellbeing of large populations. Although psychologists have completed important work on mental health responses to disaster exposure including terrorist attacks, the mental health impacts of such attacks have been comparatively less examined in academic literature than the acute health response to physical injuries. This paper reflects on Southwark Council’s pioneering public mental health response to the June 2017 terror attack at London Bridge and Borough Market. It aims to explore perceptions of the mental health impact of the incident by those living and working in the borough. Methods A rapid qualitative evaluation informed by the logic underpinning Southwark Council’s response was conducted. Seven formative interviews were undertaken with individuals involved in the response planning and/or delivery, enabling the evaluation team to establish the response’s theoretical basis. Subsequently, nineteen semi-structured interviews with consenting Council employees, residents, business owners, and workers from the Borough were conducted to understand perceived mental health impacts of the attack and the success of the Council response. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews was undertaken to evaluate the extent to which the response was implemented successfully. Results Participants reported feeling the attack had a wide-reaching negative impact on the mental health of residents, those working in the borough and visitors who witnessed the attack. Delivering the response was a challenge and response visibility within the community was limited. Participants suggested a comprehensive systematic approach to health needs assessment informed by knowledge and relationships of key Council workers and community stakeholders is imperative when responding to terrorist incidents. Improved communication and working relationships between statutory organisations and community stakeholders would ensure community groups are better supported. Prioritising mental health needs of terror attack responders to mitigate persisting negative impacts was highlighted. Conclusions This article highlights a potential public health approach and need for developing robust practical guidance in the aftermath of terror attacks. This approach has already influenced the response to the Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019.

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Mental health policy issues and development in Lithuania

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.957 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

I R Rubikas

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Mental Health Policy ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Impact ◽

Health Policies ◽

Social And Emotional ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Mental Health Policies ◽

The Eu

Abstract Background Lithuanian has experienced rapid and relatively successful transition to capitalism and transatlantic-Western values and practices in recent decades. Suicide and legal alcohol consumption rates remain the highest in the EU and OECD, and Lithuania's Positive emotions index score has been consistently amongst the 10 lowest in the world in recent years. Emigration rate is the highest in the EU and OECD, social inequality is amongst the highest in the same groups. Despite a relatively strong economy these changes are not automatically transferred to better social and emotional well-being. Methods This unconventional situation calls for strong and unconventional policy responses in the area of mental health, amongst others. Health impact assessment using theory-based approach and desk research. Results Recent attempts include strategic reorientation towards social and emotional well-being, stronger focus on prevention and promotion and primary care, intensifying efforts to reduce suicide rates, and implementation of strong regulatory measures to reduce alcohol use. Suicide rates have been declining since 2013 but remain high. Effort is made to implement best practices in media reporting, recognition and providing appropriate help for those in suicide crisis, expanding prevention efforts. Conclusions Finally, WHOs “best buys” in alcohol control were implemented since 2017, including steep increases in excise taxes, ban on alcohol advertisement, increase of allowed age, reducing alcohol trading hours and others. This resulted in the steepest decline of legal alcohol consumption in decades. The chosen policy route may be called iterative policy-making, whereby improvements are made along the way, which allows for quicker policy decisions and results. Key messages Mental health policies need to be based on the socio-political context of the specific country. Smaller countries such as Lithuania might benefit form flexible approaches to mental health policies.

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Mental Health of Refugees and Migrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Experienced Discrimination and Daily Stressors

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126354 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6354

Author(s):

Eva Spiritus-Beerden ◽

An Verelst ◽

Ines Devlieger ◽

Nina Langer Primdahl ◽

Fábio Botelho Guedes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Health Impact ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Daily Stressors ◽

Health Crisis ◽

The Impact ◽

Migrant Groups

The COVID-19 pandemic is a defining global health crisis of our time. While the impact of COVID-19, including its mental health impact, is increasingly being documented, there remain important gaps regarding the specific consequences of the pandemic on particular population groups, including refugees and migrants. This study aims to uncover the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of refugees and migrants worldwide, disentangling the possible role of social and daily stressors, i.e., experiences of discrimination and daily living conditions. Descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the responses of N = 20,742 refugees and migrants on the self-reporting global ApartTogether survey. Survey findings indicated that the mental health of refugees and migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly impacted, particularly for certain subgroups, (i.e., insecure housing situation and residence status, older respondents, and females) who reported experiencing higher levels of increased discrimination and increases in daily life stressors. There is a need to recognize the detrimental mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on particular refugee and migrant groups and to develop interventions that target their unique needs.

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Association between food insecurity and access to a mental health professional: cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2007–2014

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10818-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nina Camille Burruss ◽

Marina Girgis ◽

Karen Elizabeth Green ◽

Lingyi Lu ◽

Deepak Palakshappa

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Professional ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Mental Health Professional ◽

The United States ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past ◽

Cross Sectional Analysis ◽

Sectional Analysis

Abstract Background To determine if individuals with food insecurity (FI) were less likely to have seen a mental health professional (MHP) within the past year than individuals without FI. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in the United States between 2007 and 2014. All participants 20 years of age or older were eligible for this study. We excluded participants who were pregnant, missing FI data, or missing data from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The primary outcome was self-reported contact with a MHP in the past 12 months. We used multivariable logistic regression models to test the association between FI and contact with a MHP, controlling for all demographic and clinical covariates. Results Of the 19,789 participants, 13.9% were food insecure and 8.1% had major depressive disorder (MDD). In bivariate analysis, participants with FI were significantly more likely to have MDD (5.3% vs 2.8%, p < 0.0001) and to have been seen by a MHP in the preceding 12 months (14.0% vs 6.9%, p < 0.0001). In multivariable models, adults with FI had higher odds of having seen a MHP (OR = 1.32, CI: 1.07, 1.64). Conclusions This study demonstrates that individuals with FI were significantly more likely to have seen a MHP in the preceding 12 months compared to individuals without FI. Given the growing interest in addressing unmet social needs in healthcare settings, this data suggests that visits with MHPs may be a valuable opportunity to screen for and intervene on FI.

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