FOOD INSECURITY, WORK IMPAIRMENT AND THE IMPACT OF INTEGRATED MENTAL HEALTH CARE AMONG PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS IN SOUTH ETHIOPIA

In many low-income countries, food insecurity is a pressing concern and thus ensuring food security for all segments of the population is a high priority. In a recent global analysis of 149 countries, the prevalence of any food insecurity ranged from 18.3% in the East Asian region to 76.1% in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, both chronic and transitory (seasonal) food insecurity are persistent problems for a large segment of the population and in 2012, there was an 82.3% prevalence of household-level food insecurity in a zone in southern Ethiopia. Ending hunger and achieving food security is one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG) to be achieved by 2030.
Mental illness is associated consistently with poverty, but its association with food insecurity in people with severe mental disorders (SMD; psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder) is not well understood. Primary care-based integrated mental health care supported by interventions at community and health system levels, has emerged as an important approach to address the large treatment gap for people with SMD. However, little is known about the impact of integrated mental health care on food insecurity status