Effects of food insecurity on the mental psyche
TONIGHT FROM THE NATIONAL 211 HOTLINE. RECORDS SHOW THE DAILY NUMBER OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR FOOD BANKS HAS QUADRUPLED SINCE THE FEDERAL PROGRAM, KNOWN AS SNAP, SHUT DOWN EARLIER THIS MONTH. JOINING US NOW IS DOCTOR ALICE CONNORS KALLGREN, A PSYCHOLOGIST AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. HEY, DOCTOR, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU. QUESTION ONE. SO LET’S START WITH THE NUMBERS FROM JANUARY TO MID-OCTOBER. CALLS FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE AVERAGE ABOUT 1000 PER DAY. BUT IN THE PAST MONTH, THE AVERAGE VOLUME HAS SURGED TO MORE THAN 4200 A DAY. SO WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT THOSE RAW NUMBERS, WHAT’S YOUR REACTION? I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A STRIKING CHANGE. AND I THINK IT REALLY SHOWS TWO THINGS. ONE IS JUST HOW MUCH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DEPEND ON THIS TYPE OF ASSISTANCE TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES AND TO SURVIVE. THE SECOND IS THAT LOSING SNAP HAS BEEN A HUGE STRESSOR FOR PEOPLE AND WAS ACTUALLY IMPACTING THEM DAYS AND EVEN WEEKS BEFORE THEY STOPPED RECEIVING BENEFITS. SO, YOU KNOW, TAKEN TOGETHER, I THINK THIS SHOWS THAT PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE SNAP REALLY JUST DON’T HAVE THE RESERVES TO PAY FOR FOOD WITHOUT IT, WHICH MAKES THEIR SURVIVAL PRETTY PRECARIOUS IN THIS SITUATION, WHICH IS A TERRIBLE FEELING FOR SURE. AS WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE STANDING IN LINE AT FOOD BANKS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES. COULD THAT EXPERIENCE HAVE A LONG-TERM IMPACT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO WHAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW IS FOOD INSECURITY. AND AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, IT’S BEEN A FEW WEEKS. AND SO WE CAN CONSIDER THIS TO BE CHRONIC FOOD INSECURITY. AND CHRONIC FOOD INSECURITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH A NUMBER OF NEGATIVE LONG TERM OUTCOMES, INCLUDING ANXIETY, SHAME, RELATIONSHIP DIFFICULTIES, ALTERED BRAIN FUNCTIONING AND DECREASED RESILIENCE. AND OFTEN THESE EFFECTS CONTINUE EVEN AFTER PEOPLE REGAIN FOOD SECURITY AND THEIR BRAINS AND BODIES ARE GETTING THE NUTRITION THEY NEED. YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE’S NOT A LOT OF RESEARCH ON RECOVERY FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW FROM THE WAY THAT PEOPLE RECOVER FROM OTHER REALLY HARD CHRONIC STRESS EXPERIENCES IS THAT THEY DO EVENTUALLY RECOVER. WELL. DOCTOR, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON KIDS? YEAH, SO CHILDREN ARE EVEN MORE IMPACTED BY HUNGER THAN ADULTS BECAUSE THEIR BRAINS, BODIES AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD ARE GOING THROUGH SO MUCH RAPID DEVELOPMENT. CHILDREN WHO FACE FOOD INSECURITY, YOU KNOW, PHYSICALLY TEND TO BE IN POOR HEALTH BECAUSE THEIR BODIES AREN’T GETTING THE NUTRITION THEY NEED. BUT OUR BRAINS AND OUR EMOTIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH ARE PART OF OUR BODIES, RIGHT? IT’S SO THEY’RE SO CLOSELY RELATED. AND SO WE CAN ALSO SEE THE IMPACT ON BRAIN FUNCTIONING FROM NOT GETTING ENOUGH FOOD AND NUTRITION, WHICH LEADS TO PROBLEMS WITH FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION, LOW MOOD, SLUGGISHNESS, ISOLATION PROBLEMS, LEARNING DIFFICULTIES IN SCHOOL. SO THE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ARE ARE WIDESPREAD AND THEY MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN THOSE WAYS TOO. SO YOU CAN SEE W
Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren of Tufts Medical Center discusses the ‘striking change’ seen in 211 calls after SNAP benefits were cut and the effect food insecurity can have on people.
BOSTON —
Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren of Tufts Medical Center discusses the ‘striking change’ seen in 211 calls after SNAP benefits were cut and the effect food insecurity can have on people.