Mass. doctor on how food insecurity affects mental health
Updated: 5:32 PM EDT Sep 20, 2023
NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED ALL DAY TODAY, WE’VE BEEN TELLING YOU ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HUNGER ON LOCAL FAMILIES. EXPERTS TELL US IT’S NOT JUST THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH THAT’S IMPACTED, BUT, OF COURSE, THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL. HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS DR. ALICE CONNORS KELLGREN, A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY MATT AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. HEY, DOCTOR, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU. SO THAT BRINGS UP THE QUESTION. LET’S START HERE. I KNOW THAT YOU SPECIALIZE IN TREATING VICTIMS OF TRAUMA. COULD YOU DESCRIBE FOOD INSECURITY AS TRAUMATIC? I WOULD. SO WE DEFINE TRAUMA AS ANY EXPERIENCE THAT OVERWHELMS AN INDIVIDUAL’S CAPACITY TO COPE. WHICH FOOD INSECURITY CERTAINLY DOES. HUNGER ACTIVATES OUR THREAT RESPONSE SYSTEM. WHAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD CALLED FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS CHRONICALLY, IT CREATES STRESS ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, WHICH CAN LEAD TO MANY ADVERSE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE. NOT ONLY ARE THESE CONDITIONS CAUSED BY THE EXPERIENCE OF DEPRIVATION, OFTEN THEY CAN BE EXACERBATED BY NOT GETTING ENOUGH NUTRITION. OUR BRAINS, LIKE OTHER PARTS OF OUR BODIES, NEED NUTRITION TO FUNCTION ADEQUATELY. SO MALNOURISHED ASIAN, WHICH CAN BE EITHER NOT GETTING ENOUGH CALORIES OR NOT GETTING ENOUGH OF A SPECIFIC VITAMIN, CAN LEAD TO A RANGE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS. AS WELL. SO SO, DOCTOR, LET’S JUST HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. THE GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK SAYS 1 IN 3 FAMILIES HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS, 1 IN 3 OF THOSE FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING WITH FOOD INSECURITY RIGHT NOW. SO IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, ARE CHILDREN AND THIS IS EVEN THIS IS A HARD QUESTION, BUT ARE THEY MORE RESILIENT OR CAN THIS IMPACT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, TOO? AND I CAN IMAGINE THE ANSWER IS, OF COURSE IT CAN. YEAH, YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. OF COURSE IT CAN. AND CHILDREN ARE ACTUALLY MORE VULNERABLE TO THE EFFECTS OF FOOD INSECURITY THAN ADULTS ARE, BECAUSE THEIR BRAINS AND BODIES NEED NUTRITION TO GROW AND DEVELOP. THERE ARE ALSO FORMING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD AND WHETHER IT’S A SAFE PLACE FOR THEM. SO WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE CHRONIC HUNGER OR INCONSISTENT ACCESS TO FOOD, THEIR BODIES ARE REALLY FREQUENTLY IN THAT FIGHT. FLIGHT FREEZE MODE. AND THEY LEARN THAT THE WORLD IS NOT A SAFE PLACE AND THAT THEIR NEEDS ARE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE MET. AND SO, DR. ELLIS, YOU’VE SET THE TABLE REALLY WELL. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS. WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING HELP? FORTUNATELY, SHIRLEY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK ARE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL TO MANAGING HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY. THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WHO QUALIFY, AND YOU CAN ACCESS THESE THROUGH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. OFTEN, THOUGH, THE BIGGEST BARRIER FOR PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING HELP CAN BE SHAME. SO PLEASE KNOW THAT THERE’S NO SHAME IN PROVIDING FOOD FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. GOOD REMINDER, GOOD REMINDER. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT, DR. CONNORS
Mass. doctor on how food insecurity affects mental health
Updated: 5:32 PM EDT Sep 20, 2023
Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren, a clinical psychologist at Tufts Medical Center, says it’s not just physical health that’s affected, but their mental health too.
Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren, a clinical psychologist at Tufts Medical Center, says it’s not just physical health that’s affected, but their mental health too.
