Food Security and Mental Health in the United States: Evidence from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

Our parametric results are consistent with prior findings on the relationship between food security and mental health. We provide evidence for a causal effect of food insecurity which may account for about half the observed association of food security on mental health. A new and previously unreported result indicates that, despite poorer mental health, the food insecure do not show similar increases in mental health care. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH CARE PROVISION AND USE / IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICIES: Our results provide policy relevant bounds on the causal impact of food insecurity on mental health. These results raise concerns about the mental health treatment gap in the food insecure population. The relative lack of treatment may point towards deeper structural issues in access to mental health treatment.