Cumulative risk and resilience: The roles of comorbid maternal mental health conditions and community cohesion in influencing food security in low-income households.

Abstract

Maternal caregivers play a critical role in achieving household food security. This study examines the impact of cumulative risk across multiple systems with respect to household food security. Data were drawn from a nationally representative survey of 2,276 mothers. Using step-wise lagged dependent variable logistic regression models we examine the influence of mental health, household, and neighborhood characteristics on household food security. Households headed by caregivers with a single mental health condition were less likely to be food secure as compared to those without mental health concerns. Comorbid mental health diagnoses compounded the risk, and worsened the odds of achieving food security. Perceived community cohesion emerged as a resilience factor that buffered both individual and community risks to food security. The findings emphasize the link between positive maternal mental health and food security, and suggest that communities may have an important protective role in food security.