Abstract

Food insecurity and a low nutrient-dense diet have been reported to independently impact mental distress. However, little is known about the relationship between food insecurity, psychological stress, and mental distress. To address this gap, an anonymous survey was created and distributed on several social media platforms. The survey included the Food-Mood Questionnaire, Kessler-6 Psychological Scale and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. A total of 997 adults completed the survey, including 705 females, 246 males, and 46 others. The data was analyzed using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient in SPSS Version 25.0. There were significant positive correlations between low food availability and feelings of mental distress (p<0.01), and significant negative correlations between inclusion of food variability and feeling of worthlessness (p<0.01). This suggests that food insecurity and low food variability may promote mental distress.