Although mental health is being talked about more publicly, today, in its day, I want to share one of its aspects which, although not obvious to many, is cyclical and devastating: the relationship between hunger and mental health. In my work at the humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger, I have seen how lack of food not only weakens the body, but also consumes psychological and social well-being, creating a vicious cycle from which it is difficult to escape. this World Mental Health Day be reminded of the importance of a psychosocial approach the fight against hunger.
Hunger is a traumatic experience in itself. More than 768 million of people around the world living with the uncertainty of not knowing if they will be able to eat today. This constant tension affects not only their physical well-being, but their ability to make decisions, take care of themselves and their loved ones. I have seen it in many places, oh refugee camps for communities devastated by natural disasters or conflicts. The psychological distress generated by food insecurity – not having access to enough nutritious food – not only weakens people, but is one of the walls that makes it difficult to cycle of hunger and poverty.
In Action Against Hunger, we must 40 years working on 50 countriesmany of which are affected by wars, natural disasters and economic crises that threaten the psychosocial well-being of individuals, families and communities According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of people with mental health conditions They live in low-income and middle-income countries, and they are also the same countries where hunger is most widespread. Therefore, for us, it is necessary to work from a holistic approach that includes physical health, nutrition and, of course, mental health.
The traumatic experience of starvation causes profound psychological changes. I have worked with mothers who cannot properly care for their sons and daughters under the weight of anxiety and depression. Your signs of it anxiety and depressionmade worse by the lack of access to food, directly affecting the nutrition of the little ones. Studies have shown that the children of mothers with depression between three and six times they are more likely to be acutely malnourished. This highlights the importance of intervening not only from a nutritional perspective, but also from a psychosocial perspective.
At Action Against Hunger we know that a person needs to protect and strengthen their mental health in order to overcome malnutrition or recover their livelihood. That’s why we integrate psychosocial support into all our interventions. From nutrition programs in Latin America to livelihood programs in Spain or Asia, we work in three areas: strengthening individual psychosocial well-being, the ability of fathers, mothers and caregivers to promote a positive family environment, and the community structures and resources advanced. and protect the mental health of their members.
It is one of the main principles of our way of working suitable our interventions to needs and characteristics of each person. A 12-year-old girl reacts to a crisis differently than someone over 65, or people from different cultures. The tools and needs that each person has to face and recover from these situations are different, and it is essential to adapt our intervention accordingly. In addition, we are always working with communitiesbecause we firmly believe that they are not only helped, but also empowered create environments of well-being. Community health workers play a central role in this process, helping to promote and protect the mental health of all members of the community.
Personally, I have been able to see how when we integrate psychosocial support into our work, people take awareness the importance of self-care for themselves and their loved ones. It decides them to understand what is happening to them, to see it as something normal under those circumstances and you don’t feel yourself in their emotional reactions, to be able share experiences with and learn from others in your community. This gives them a a big boomwhich undoubtedly has an impact on the way they face and recover from the difficult situation they are in.
We know that in many of the contexts in which we work, particularly in the midst of an emergency, mental health is not always seen as a priority. However, is key. A clear example of how we integrate mental health in our interventions is our work in Türkiye after the earthquakes of February last year: in safe and friendly spaces for mothers and children, or Mother Child Friendly Spacesdesigned to promote breastfeeding and complementary feeding for boys and girls under the age of two, where we also strengthen perinatal mental health. Mothers who participate in the program receive advice and support to manage stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression. We know that an emotionally healthy mother is vital to the healthy development of her child.
They tell us it themselves. For example, a Syrian refugee in one of the camps for those affected by the earthquake in Turkey explained to us that she had to go through very difficult conditions already after fleeing the war in her country when the earthquakes hit ground out, once again, everything. they had . Psychosocial support activities came a refugio which helped him cope with this enormous loss, providing him with tools to manage your emotions and put her in touch with other mothers. It was the deep sense of solidarity and support he felt, he told us vital when everything else fell apart.
Other women who were displaced in camps by the earthquakes told our teams that going through pregnancy during such a devastating time was scary and worried about how to give birth, how to adjust to living in a camp with newborns… and that it was the psychosocial support found in these friendly spaces that gave them a chance overcome your fear, prepare to the challenges of motherhood and to gain a better understanding of how to care for their sons and daughters.
Hunger is a symptom of a deeper problem, which undoubtedly includes mental health decline. To break the cycle of hunger, we must address the physical and psychological needs of those affected. On World Mental Health Day, it is vital that we understand mental health not as a service, but as right for everyoneespecially those who live in extreme situations vulnerability.