Does Participation in Food Benefit Programs Reduce the Risk for Depressive Symptoms?

Food insecurity affects 15 million households in the United States and is associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes including Major Depressive Disorder. Governmental public assistance or food benefit programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are social intervention services that attempt to minimize food insecurity for low-income households. There is little consensus regarding the effects of food benefit participation on reducing risk of depressive symptoms.

This study aims to explore the association between household food insecurity and food benefit participation (SNAP or WIC) on risk for depressive symptoms using nationally representative samples from the Center for Disease and Control and Prevention Nutritional Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 cohorts. We hypothesize that food insecurity is associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms and food benefit participation with reduced risk.

Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using survey-weighted logistic regression to explore the relationship between food insecurity, food benefit participation, and the risk of depressive symptoms controlling for relevant income and sociodemographic variables.

When controlling for sociodemographic variables, food benefit participation did not reduce the risk of depressive symptoms, while high levels of food insecurity were associated with elevated risk.

High levels of food insecurity are associated with elevated risk of depressive symptoms. Nurses and public health professionals can address food security needs through increased knowledge of referral and eligibility requirements. Implications on clinical practice, policy, and future directions for research are discussed.