Food insecurity and mental health 'interconnected'

As food insecurity persists in the London area, it’s becoming clear it affects more than hunger.

An article published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry points to a connection between food insecurity and the use of mental health services in Ontario.

About one in eight Canadians experience food insecurity. Those who experience severe food insecurity, missing meals or even going days without eating, were much more likely to receive mental health treatment compared to food-secure adults, the article states.

"Those people struggling with mental health issues are often the ones who are food insecure," said public health dietitian Ellen Lakusiak.

The article found 20 per cent of those who visited primary care doctors for mental health reasons were food insecure and about 27 per cent of those who visited a psychiatrist were food insecure.

However, the research article also pointed to food insecurity having consequences for the health care system, outside of mental health. Food insecure adults account for about 38 per cent of those admitted to hospital and about 35 per cent of those treated in emergency departments.

Lakusiak also is the co-ordinator of the Middlesex London Food Policy Council, which works to advocate, influence policy and make a difference to the local food system. The council assessed food insecurity in the city and Middlesex County in 2015 and 2016.

"Based on the data, we’re not any worse or better compared to other communities, but we definitely have food insecurity issues," she said.

Lakusiak said dietitians are dealing with mental health concerns more frequently.

"There is a push now to work more on mental health," she said. "It’s very much interconnected."

To end food insecurity, underlying community issues like poverty must be addressed first. Poverty creates food insecurity and mental health concerns, said LifeSpin executive director Jacqueline Thompson.

"It’s a downward spiral," she said.

Those living in poverty do not have access to proper shelter and nutrition, Thompson said.

"They have no money for food and they are not eating a nice diet," she said. "Food budgets are being used to pay for housing."

Income support programs like Ontario Works do not provide enough to cover food and rent, said London Food Bank co-director Glen Pearson.

"Food is one of the things they have to sacrifice to pay rent. That’s not the way it should be," he said. "People should be able to afford their own food, but people need an income to do that."

Lack of a healthful diet also can prevent those living with food insecurity from workplace opportunities, said Thompson.

"They are not able to sustain employment because they have no nutrition to get them through the day," she said.

Thompson said London is "miles" away from addressing these issues.

"London doesn’t have a whole lot of anything," she said.

While services such as Mission Services and the Salvation Army provide meals as a short-term solution, Pearson said the ultimate goal is to have food security.

"There is no need for someone in London to go hungry," he said.