Food insecurity in adults with severe mental illness: A systematic review with meta‐analysis
Open accessAbstract
Introduction: Food insecurity in adults living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) is an underresearched area worldwide. Aim: This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to identify and collate evidence on food insecurity in adults with SMI, in high‐ and upper‐middle income countries. Method: A comprehensive electronic search was completed up to August 2022. Random effects meta‐analysis was undertaken to determine the prevalence and the odds ratio for food insecurity in adults with SMI. Narrative synthesis explored the data further. Results: Sixteen publications were included (13 in the meta‐analysis). The prevalence estimate of food insecurity in adults with SMI was 41% (95% CI: 29% to 53%, I2 = 99.9%, n = 13). Adults with SMI were 3.31 (95% CI: 2.03 to 5.41) times more likely to experience food insecurity than comparators without SMI (z = 6.29, p < .001, I2 = 98.9%, n = 6). Food insecurity appears to be a risk factor for developing SMI. Discussion: This review suggests adults with SMI living in high‐ or upper‐middle income countries are more likely to experience food insecurity than the general population and that this relationship may be inverse. Implications for practice: Mental health practitioners should be aware of food insecurity and support individuals with SMI to access sufficient food.
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Across 16 studies from high- and upper-middle income countries, none were conducted in the UK.
“Across 16 studies identified from high‐and upper‐middle income countries; none were conducted in the UK, highlighting a significant gap in the literature.”
From A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring How Food Insecurity Screening can be Embedded in Routine Mental Health Care for Adults With Severe Mental Illness (2026) · cites this paper as [5]
A recent study by the authors found that over half (50.4%) of adults living with severe mental illness in Northern England met US Department of Agriculture criteria for food insecurity.
“A recent study by the authors found that over half of adults (50.4%) living with SMI in Northern England met the US Department of Agriculture [6] criteria for FI [5].”
From A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring How Food Insecurity Screening can be Embedded in Routine Mental Health Care for Adults With Severe Mental Illness (2026) · cites this paper as [5]
The small number of peer support worker interviews limits generalisability.
“First, the small number of PSW's interviews limits generalisability; however, these accounts provide in‐depth insights consistent with broader literature [3, 5].”
From A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring How Food Insecurity Screening can be Embedded in Routine Mental Health Care for Adults With Severe Mental Illness (2026) · cites this paper as [5]
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Tuschick, E., Giles, E., & Smith, J. (2026) · Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics · doi:10.1111/jhn.70257
“A systematic review conducted by the authors on FI in adults with SMI revealed a scarcity of UK‐based evidence on the prevalence of FI and highlighted a lack of validated screening tools tailored to this population [5].”
InfluentialSelf-citation
- Authors
- Smith, J., Stevens, H., Lake, A. A., Teasdale, S., & Giles, E. L.
- Affiliations
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Teesside University (GB)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Smith, Jo
- Venue
- Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2023-08-24
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 133-151
- ISSN
- 1351-0126 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2850
- OpenAlex
- W4386153510
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 8
- FWCI
- 1.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Teesside University Research Portal (Teesside University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- TeesRep (Teesside University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- World Bank Group
- Strong
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR203466)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Homelessness and Social Issues
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Security and Socioeconomic Dynamics
- Keywords
- food insecurity, severe mental illness, prevalence, risk factors, mental health, food access
- MeSH terms
- Food Insecurity, Adult, Mental Disorders, Humans, Mental Health, Risk Factors, Prevalence
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