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4  Environmental factors

In addition to fixed characteristics, environmental factors, such as adequate access to food, housing, and health and exposure to pollution, impacts an individuals likelihood and severity of mental health outcomes. Although these factors can not directly change an individual's fixed characteristics of the social determinants of mental health, they can affect the degree as to which an individual is influenced.

4.1 Inadequate access to proper food

Mental illnesses are common among those that are food insecure due to associated factors of stress and weaker community belonging (1). Food security refers to the state of having accessing to sufficient and nutritious foods in order to maintain a healthy and active life, and deviations from this can lead to food insecurity. While seen as an economic indicator, food insecurity can increase the risk to mental illnesses through stress, making them more vulnerable to worse mental health outcomes.

Another contributing factor that can explain this association between food insecurity and mental illnesses is social isolation. Research shows that the majority of food insecure individuals in Canada do not have access to community food programs or food banks, suggesting that there are little to no access to social resources for these people. (2)(3) This factor can impact an individual's ability to feel supported or a sense of belonging within their community, thereby increasing their vulnerability to mental illnesses.

4.2 Housing

4.3 Pollution

4.4 Lack of health insurance

5.   Social factors

5.1   Discrimination

5.2   Stigma

6.     Interventions

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(1) Martin, Michael S., Emily Maddocks, Yue Chen, Stephen E. Gilman, and Ian Colman. "Food insecurity and mental illness: disproportionate impacts in the context of perceived stress and social isolation." Public health 132 (2016): 86-91.

(2) Kirkpatrick, Sharon I., and Valerie Tarasuk. "Food insecurity and participation in community food programs among low-income Toronto families." Canadian Journal of Public Health 100 (2009): 135-139.

(3) Loopstra, Rachel, and Valerie Tarasuk. "The relationship between food banks and household food insecurity among low-income Toronto families." Canadian Public Policy 38, no. 4 (2012): 497-514.