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Breaking the cycle between caregiver mental health and child behavioral issues: Does food insecurity matter?

Author

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  • Chen, Jun-Hong
  • Helton, Jesse J.
  • Chiang, Chien-Jen
  • Wu, Chi-Fang
  • Jonson-Reid, Melissa
  • Drake, Brett

Abstract

Food insecurity is a key determinant of not only caregiver's mental health but also children's emotional problems and hyperactivity symptoms. Although substantial studies have explored such a relationship, it is unclear to us whether this relation would vary when considering that caregiver's mental health and aforementioned children's behavioral issues can be the cause and effect of each other. Addressing this research gap is a key to advancing our understanding of how to promote a healthier family dynamic, especially for those facing material needs. This research applies the family stress model to explore how food insecurity affects caregiver psychological distress and child emotional problems and hyperactivity symptoms, while considering the reciprocal relationships between caregiver mental health and these child behavioral issues. Utilizing data from the 2019 Panel Study of Income Dynamic and 2019–2020 Child Development Supplements, this study conducts path analyses applied with propensity score weighting to support causal inference. Results support the family stress model framework, where food insecurity significantly predicts an increase in psychological distress in caregivers, which in turn leads to more severe child emotional problems and hyperactivity symptoms. This study also shows that food insecurity is a risk factor resulting in a reciprocal association between caregiver psychological distress and child emotional problems, where the strength of both directions is similarly harmful to each other. These findings underscore the need to address food insecurity, not only to meet material needs but also to break the harmful cycle of mental health and behavioral issues within families.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Jun-Hong & Helton, Jesse J. & Chiang, Chien-Jen & Wu, Chi-Fang & Jonson-Reid, Melissa & Drake, Brett, 2025. "Breaking the cycle between caregiver mental health and child behavioral issues: Does food insecurity matter?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 364(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:364:y:2025:i:c:s0277953624009420
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117488
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fan Li & Kari Lock Morgan & Alan M. Zaslavsky, 2018. "Balancing Covariates via Propensity Score Weighting," Journal of the American Statistical Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 113(521), pages 390-400, January.
    2. Hilary Hoynes & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach & Douglas Almond, 2016. "Long-Run Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(4), pages 903-934, April.
    3. Zhou, Siwen & Berning, Joshua P. & Bonanno, Alessandro & Cleary, Rebecca & Gundersen, Craig G., 2024. "A Study of Prevalence and Determinants of Persistent Food Insecurity Using Repeated Two-Year Household Panels," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343941, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
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