Keywords
Mental disorders
Public health
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Abstract
Objective: To discuss the relationship between food insecurity, socioeconomic vulnerability, and mental disorders, synthesizing recent evidence on their impacts on individual and collective well-being. Methods: An integrative literature review was conducted in two electronic databases (PubMed and the Virtual Health Library), using the descriptors in English “food insecurity” OR “hunger” AND “mental health” and, in Portuguese, “insegurança alimentar” AND “fome” OR “saúde mental”, restricted to full-text articles published in the last five years. The search initially identified 2,399 records; after applying filters, eligibility criteria (clinical trials and other methodologically rigorous designs), and excluding duplicates and studies outside the scope, 14 articles were included in the final analysis. Results: The selected studies show a consistent association between food insecurity and symptoms of depression, anxiety, chronic psychological distress, and emotional changes, with more intense effects in contexts marked by gender, racial, territorial, and sanitary inequalities. Final considerations: Food insecurity acts both as a marker of social exclusion and as a driver of mental illness, indicating that public policies should integrate food and nutrition security actions with mental health care strategies, incorporating dignity, social justice, and psychosocial support as central axes for promoting health equity.
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