Adolescent Mental Health and Suicidal Behaviors in the Context of Expanded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility.

Autor: Austin AE; Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: anna.austin@unc.edu., Frank M; Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina., Short NA; Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine [J Adolesc Health] 2024 Sep; Vol. 75 (3), pp. 435-441. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 11.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.05.028
Abstrakt: Purpose: Food insecurity is a risk factor for poor mental health and suicidal behaviors among adolescents. Prior research shows that states with policies that expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility have a lower prevalence of food insecurity. The primary aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of feelings of sadness or hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among adolescents in states that had the asset test eliminated and the income limit increased for SNAP eligibility to adolescents in states that did not have either policy.
Methods: Using 2013-2021 data from state Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (N = 855,119) and the SNAP Policy Database, we conducted log-binomial regression with generalized estimating equations and adjusted for confounders.
Results: The prevalence of persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness was similar among adolescents in states that had the asset test eliminated only and among adolescents in states that had both the asset test eliminated and the income limit increased (i.e., both policies) compared to adolescents in states that did not have either policy. While the prevalence of suicidal thoughts was similar among adolescents in states that had the asset test eliminated only compared to adolescents in states that did not have either policy, the prevalence of suicidal thoughts (prevalence ratio = 0.91, 95% CI 0.88, 0.94) and suicide attempts (prevalence ratio = 0.82, 95% CI 0.78, 0.86) was lower among adolescents in states that had both policies compared to adolescents in states that did not have either policy.
Discussion: States with policies that expand SNAP eligibility have a lower prevalence of suicidal behaviors among adolescents.
(Copyright © 2024 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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