U.K. food insecurity is associated with mental health conditions

Food insecurity affects about 1 in 13 (7.8%) U.K. households, with higher rates of food insecurity found in Black British households and people with long-term mental health conditions, according to a new study published October 15, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Maddy Power of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U.K., and colleagues.

Food insecurity—defined as limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods—has become an increasingly urgent public health concern in the U.K. In the new study, researchers analyzed data from the 2019/20 Family Resource Survey, which included 19,210 private U.K. households.

Overall, 7.8% of respondents were food insecure, but rates varied significantly by sociodemographic. Food insecurity was significantly higher among Black/African/Caribbean/Black British households (20%) compared to White households (7%), and was more common in younger, single, lower-income, renting, and benefit-receiving households.

Food insecurity was also associated with longstanding illness affecting mental health (AOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.70-2.39). This was true across all ethnic groups, but Asian/Asian British respondents experiencing food insecurity reported the highest odds of having a longstanding illness affecting their mental health (AOR 2.63, 95% CI 1.05-6.56).

The study was limited by surveying one person per household rather than all household members, by using a 30-day rather than 12-month reference period for food insecurity, which likely underestimates its prevalence, and by the 2019-2020 time frame. The study design also precludes determining any causation behind the observed associations. However, the authors conclude that the finding of an association between food insecurity and mental health for all U.K. ethnic groups necessitates a population-wide response alongside targeted interventions.

The authors add: “At a time of societal division and growing racism, we find marked differences in levels of food insecurity by ethnic group, with Black/African/Caribbean/Black British respondents reporting particularly high food insecurity. We find an especially strong association between food insecurity and mental health among some minority ethnic groups showing that, despite rhetoric, ethnic minority groups remain disadvantaged in the U.K., and policies to reduce inequalities are essential.”

Freely available article in PLOS One: http://plos.io/4gQtFro

Citation: Power M, Yang T, Pybus K, Tajik B (2025) Association between food insecurity, ethnicity, and mental health in the UK: An analysis of the Family Resource Survey. PLoS One 20(10): e0332762. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0332762

Author countries: U.K.

Funding: This research was funded by a Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship in Humanities and Social Sciences held by Maddy Power. Grant Number: 221021/Z/20/Z The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.