Sticker Shock Hawaii residents regularly experience it at grocery stores. New research at the University of Hawaii Manoa University.
Using a detailed health survey, researchers measured the effects of more than 12 socioeconomic factors on mental health, found that food anxiety was the single greatest predictor of poor mental health on the island.
“Individuals affected by food instability are as pronounced as depressive symptoms and are as high as those with low self-esteem and suicidal ideation,” said Reuben Juarez, professor UH and one of the lead researchers.
Even residents who can afford grocery bills are not affected by mental and emotional fallout from the state’s high cost of living.
Residents who spend a high percentage of their income on housing are more likely to experience mental health issues, even if they are far above the poverty line, Juarez said.
Almost 40% of working-age adults in this study reported symptoms of depression. That’s a higher percentage than the statewide.
Food insecurity is rising again
The report comes at a time when concerns are growing about the high cost of living in the state and the potential economic impact of federal cuts and layoffs launched by the Trump administration.
Almost a third of working households in the state, and almost half of households with children, are struggling financially. A family of four will need to make $107,795 this year to pay for basic essentials. According to Aloha United Way.
Christine Frost Albrecht, executive director of Hawaii-based Food Bank, has noticed in the past few months that food basket workers have seen a sharp rise in the number of double-income families seeking food aid.
Nonprofits are seeking as much help as they were during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Frost Albrecht said.
“It seems like it’s really affecting families with their parents working and having children at school,” Frost Albrecht said. “And that’s heartbreaking. It’s definitely heartbreaking.”
In addition to socioeconomic issues that contribute to lower mental health, researchers have identified many “protective factors” that can reduce the prevalence of mental health problems.
Those who were married or had long-term partners reported improved mental health. Employment was also identified as a protective factor, improving self-esteem and reducing depression rates. It also plays a big role in how people feel in their neighborhoods.
A major challenge from UH’s research is that many policymakers can do to address risk factors researchers have identified, Juarez said.
Improved public safety, programs to address job security, and efforts to reduce food insecurity could all serve as mental health interventions, Juarez said.
But Juarez said, “The big point from all of this is that it’s important to deal with food insecurity.”
Civil Beat’s Community Health Coverage is Being Supported Atherton Family Foundationthe Hawaii Community Foundation’s Swain Family Fund, the Cook Foundation, and Papa Orakahi.
