CW: Poverty & Food
Food insecurity is a matter of life and death. For millions of disabled Americans, it’s a reality of daily life, especially for those living with serious mental illness. There are too many people choosing between food, healthcare, and housing.
Stories like this are all around us. Somewhere there is a man with schizophrenia who compares the cost of bread to the cost of his prescription. He knows he won’t be able to afford both. There is an older woman with heart disease who doesn’t go to counseling because she is so preoccupied with where she will get her next meal. A person with diabetes limits their food intake to make food last, despite knowing it will make managing their condition more difficult. These are everyday realities.
Disabilities often require more than medical treatment alone. Whether someone is living with a psychiatric disability, a chronic illness, a physical disability, or an intellectual or developmental disability, access to nutritious food is a fundamental part of maintaining health and independence. Food insecurity can exacerbate current health issues, increase stress and anxiety, and complicate medical care such as medication regimens.
Nutrition, healthcare, and community support are well-linked. As one starts to become more difficult to access others will follow. Disabled people continue to experience food insecurity at disproportionately higher rates than nondisabled people. A 2023 systematic review found that people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression consistently had high levels of food insecurity. A 2025 study determined that food insecurity is a risk factor for anxiety and depression, and can exacerbate symptoms. In addition to psychiatric disabilities, poor nutrition can make a chronic health condition harder to manage, hinder recovery, make many people sicker and more likely to be hospitalized, and diminish the quality of life for many with disabilities.
This effect is more pronounced in rural areas. Access to healthcare has been impacted in many areas by hospitals closing. For disabled people, this can mean having to travel for hours to access healthcare. There are limited community resources, few transportation options, and few nutrition programs, including Meals on Wheels. Disabled people tend to be more isolated and health outcomes in rural areas tend to be worse, especially since services are not widely available in rural areas.
These concerns are now even stronger than ever. Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, which has sweeping changes and funding cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Funding cuts and further administrative hurdles could further limit access to healthcare, medication, personal care services, and nutritious food for disabled people. It’s about more than just saving money. These cuts impact whether someone has food to eat, can afford a prescription, can stay safely in their home, or see a doctor.
For disabled people, the cuts are even more devastating, especially because, in 2023, the poverty rate for Americans with disabilities was more than 2.5 times higher than for those without disabilities. Furthermore, 20% of households receiving SNAP include an adult with a disability. Access to healthy food and/or medically required diets is essential for many disabled people to maintain their health.
There is a strong link between food security and disability. Hunger negatively impacts health, increases the risk of complications, makes disabilities harder to cope with, and presents more barriers to independence and recovery. Nutrition and healthcare are not just public policy matters, people’s lives are at stake.
Sources:
Ashbrook, Alexandra. “Take Action for Economic Security and Justice for People With Disabilities by Improving Access to Nutrition.” Food Research & Action Center, 26 July 2023, frac.org/blog/ada-anniversary-economic-security-justice.
Bateson, Melissa, et al. ‘Does Food Insecurity Cause Anxiety and Depression? Evidence from the Changing Cost of Living Study’. PLOS Mental Health, vol. 2, no. 7, Public Library of Science, July 2025, p. e0000320, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000320.
Distelhorst, Karen, et al. ‘Food Insecurity, Neighborhood, and Health Care Utilization in Health System Adults’. The American Journal of Managed Care, vol. 29, MJH Life Sciences, 2023, http://www.ajmc.com/view/food-insecurity-neighborhood-and-health-care-utilization-in-health-system-adults.
Hanson, Cole. “Medicaid and SNAP Cuts Are Exacerbating the Intertwined Problems of Hunger and Mental Illness.” STAT, 16 July 2026, statnews.com/2026/07/16/snap-cuts-mental-illness-hunger-psychiatric-emergency/
Smith, Jo, et al. “Food Insecurity in Adults with Severe Mental Illness: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, vol. 31, 2024, pp. 133–151. Wiley, https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12969.