By Rachel Asante August 8, 2025
The Emotional Burden of Food Insecurity
According to the USDA (2025), food insecurity occurs when a household lacks adequate access to nutritious food due to socioeconomic factors. Although mitigating hunger among households is essential, the chronic emotional toll of food insecurity is often ignored. There are a multitude of reasons why this topic has not been addressed, such as stigma and shame, a lack of understanding of psychological stress related to food insecurity, and systemic barriers. Thus, food insecurity should be viewed as a psychosocial stressor because it can provoke feelings of anxiety, constant worry, and depression among individuals who are unsure when their next meal will be (412 Food Rescue, 2024). For example, Wolfson et al. (2021) discovered that food-insecure adults are seven times more likely to show signs of depression than those who are food-secure. In addition, the same study found that food-insecure adults are six times more likely to have symptoms of anxiety than their counterparts (Wolfson et al., 2021).
Tackling Anxiety and Depression
Constantly being preoccupied with not having sufficient food can escalate into a state of chronic anxiety. The persistent cycle of stress and scrambling to find food can lead to feelings of shame when individuals are unable to provide adequately for themselves and their loved ones. For parents/guardians, the anxiety of failing to provide for themselves and their family and needing to seek assistance from food programs like Blazer Kitchen fosters a sense of isolation and hopelessness. This emotional burden significantly increases their risk for anxiety and depression (U.S. Hunger, 2022). As one UAB employee movingly expressed, “I am more anxious and worried about how everyone will eat throughout the day. Worrying about food on a bi-weekly basis can be stressful. On a daily basis, I experience panic attacks.”
The Weight of Silence: Navigating Shame and Guilt
Food insecurity often occurs in silence because individuals and families fear they are going to be judged because of their circumstances. Parents and guardians, in particular, may be hesitant to discuss their situation to shield their children from any unnecessary stress or worry. They want to ensure that their children avoid taking on adult responsibilities. However, this silence deepens feelings of isolation because they believe others will not understand their challenges. Concealing these difficulties can seriously impact mental health and further compound feelings of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. The resulting isolation intensifies the emotional burden they face ( Bruckner et al., 2024; Taylor et al., 2024).
Mental Health Implications
The health impacts of food insecurity extend well beyond hunger, affecting the whole being. In our society, there is so much stigma attached to poverty. Many individuals perceive seeking assistance as embarrassing, fearing judgment for their inability to provide for their families. This can lead to internalizing negative messages about self-worth, leading to chronic stress. A continuous state of stress can disrupt sleep, weaken the immune system, and impair concentration in both academic and professional settings (Ejiohuo et al., 2024). Over time, individuals may struggle to enjoy their lives due to the constant mental strain and emotional exhaustion they experience. For many, the daily struggle of putting food on the table can be overwhelming. This emotional burden affects an individual’s moods, relationships, and sense of belonging (Ejiohuo et al., 2024). UAB student reported, “I have high levels of stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. I am more stressed towards the end of each semester when my funding runs out. Food insecurity is an additional burden as it elevates my stress levels while I am trying to focus on school assignments and exams.”
Blazer Kitchen Employee Resource Guide
References
412 Food Rescue. (2025, May 14). Food insecurity is a mental health crisis—Let’s treat it like one. 412 Food Rescue. https://412foodrescue.org/food-insecurity-is-a-mental-health-crisis-lets-treat-it-like-one/
Bruckner, H. K., Westbrook, M., Loberg, L., Teig, E., & Schaefbauer, C. (2021). “Free” food with a side of shame? Combating stigma in emergency food assistance programs in the quest for food justice. Geoforum, 123, 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.04.021
Ejiohuo, O., Onyeaka, H., Unegbu, K. C., Chikezie, O. G., Odeyemi, O. A., Lawal, A., & Odeyemi, O. A. (2024). Nourishing the Mind: How Food Security Influences Mental Wellbeing. Nutrients, 16(4), 501. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16040501
Taylor, N., Boyland, E., Christiansen, P., Southern, A., & Hardman, C.A. (2024). Towards measuring food insecurity stigma: development and validation of the Food Insecurity Self-stigma Scale and the Food Support Experiences Scale. BMC Public Health 24, 3349. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20878-y
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2025, January 10). Definitions of food security. Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-of-food-security
U.S. Hunger. (2022, December 19). It’s not just hunger: Mental health. U.S. Hunger Blog. https://ushunger.org/blog/its-not-just-hunger-mental-health/
Wolfson, J. A., Garcia, T., & Leung, C. W. (2021). Food Insecurity Is Associated with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: Evidence from the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States. Health equity, 5(1), 64–71. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2020.0059
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