Food and access to food/meals are important factors shaping people's lives and how they participate in their communities. Yet, there is little research on food and access to food/meals among people with mental health concerns. From the Main Study we found that "food" emerged as a major theme in the data, particularly the relationship between food and poverty, food and social relationships, food and institutionalization, and food and self-concept. We learned that low-income people who have been diagnosed with psychosis are incredibly resilient and resourceful when it comes to accessing food/meals, yet many structural factors prevent them from getting enough food, eating healthy, cooking their own meals, and accessing culturally-specific food.
Stay tuned for findings!
Food Security
At the World Food Summit in 1996 food security was defined as existing "when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life." Commonly, the concept of food security is defined as including both physical and economic access to food that meets people's dietary needs as well as their food preferences (Source: World Health Organization).