Food insecurity and severe mental illness: understanding the hidden problem and how to ask about food access during routine healthcare
Open accessAbstract
SUMMARY: Food insecurity occurs when an individual lacks the financial resources to ensure reliable access to sufficient food to meet their dietary, nutritional and social needs. Adults living with mental ill health, particularly severe mental illness, are more likely to experience food insecurity than the general adult population. Despite this, most interventions and policy reforms in recent years have been aimed at children and families, with little regard for other vulnerable groups. Initiating a conversation about access to food can be tricky and assessing for food insecurity does not happen in mental health settings. This article provides an overview of food insecurity and how it relates to mental ill health. With reference to research evidence, the reader will gain an understanding of food insecurity, how it can be assessed and how food-insecure individuals with severe mental illness can be supported. Finally, we make policy recommendations to truly address this driver of health inequality.
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Mental health practitioners may not currently prioritise food insecurity screening.
“Mental health practitioners may not currently prioritise FI screening [8].”
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 [8]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Smith, J., Ker, S., Archer, D., Gilbody, S., Peckham, E., & Hardman, C. A.
- Affiliations
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- NHS England (GB)
- University of York (GB)
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Smith, Jo
- Venue
- BJPsych Advances
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 2022-06-13
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 204-212
- ISSN
- 2056-4678 (ISSN-L)
- 2056-4686
- OpenAlex
- W4282577021
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 8
- FWCI
- 5.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- BJPsych Advances (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- TeesRep (Teesside University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Teesside University Research Portal (Teesside University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/S004459/1)
- 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, mental health, food access, food insecurity screening, health disparities, vulnerable populations, mental health policy
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