Overview

• Researchers collected monthly data from nearly 500 adults in the United Kingdom and France between September 2022 and August 2023 to assess weekly food security and next-month anxiety and depression scores.
• About 39.5% of participants experienced food insecurity in at least one month, with mental health worsening during insecure periods and improving as access returned.
• The observed one-month symptom changes point to the psychological impact of food availability rather than longer-term nutritional deficiencies.
• Eliminating periodic food shortages in affected populations could cut the prevalence of clinically concerning anxiety and depression by up to 20 percentage points.
• The study’s authors urge rapid-response food security policies as a practical tool to address rising mental health challenges driven by cost-of-living pressures.