Silent struggles: food insecurity and mental health among Syrian refugees in Türkiye

Food insecurity is a major global public health concern that particularly affects refugees and is associated with adverse mental health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between food insecurity and mental health among Syrian refugees living in Türkiye (Turkey).

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 566 adult refugees (37.1% male, 62.9% female) recruited through snowball sampling between February and May 2024. Data were collected using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS).

Overall, 61.3% of participants were food secure, while 25.8% and 12.9% experienced moderate and severe food insecurity, respectively. Severe food insecurity was strongly associated with higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores, and with lower wellbeing (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that each one-point increase in FIES score was associated with a 0.234-point decrease in wellbeing, while each one-point increase in depression score was associated with a 0.324-point decrease in wellbeing. Lower income, limited education, female gender, and larger household size were significantly linked to food insecurity.

This study demonstrates the close link between food insecurity and poor mental health among Syrian refugees in Türkiye. Addressing these issues requires culturally sensitive, language-accessible, and community-based interventions. Longitudinal research with objective measurements is needed to clarify causal pathways and inform sustainable policies.