Disability, food insecurity, and nutritional assistance in the context of COVID-19 pandemic: Interrogating the role of perceived everyday discrimination.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for nutritional assistance among many households, but prior research suggests that people with disabilities and other marginalized groups have been less likely to seek needed assistance due to perceived discriminatory experiences. We examined variation in the use of food assistance programs during the pandemic using data from a community survey of working-age adults with a sizeable subsample of people with disabilities in the Intermountain West region of the United States (N = 1,745). Study findings revealed that having a self-reported disability was associated with greater participation in food assistance programs, which was driven by higher rates of food insecurity. However, the mediated association between disability and nutritional assistance was reduced for food insecure adults who reported greater experiences of perceived daily discrimination. The implication is that perceived discriminatory experiences have diminished the benefits of health-promoting social services during the pandemic. Ways in which the findings extend previous literature on disability, social marginalization, and health disparities is also discussed.

Exploring the Mental Health Correlates of Welfare Stigmatization, Violent Crime, and Property Crime

“…This exploratory study utilized multiple methods to assess the overarching research question: How does public nutritional assistance (an indicator of poverty) relate to violent crime and property crimes? In a study of individuals receiving public benefits, Ciciurkaite and Brown (2023) found that, even during the COVID pandemic, people experiencing poverty, hunger, or food insecurity continued to face many forms of discrimination. Ciciurkaite and Brown (2023) found that experiences of discrimination that were related to food benefits did diminish the positive effects of public benefits that were meant to serve individuals that were experiencing poverty.…”

“…In a study of individuals receiving public benefits, Ciciurkaite and Brown (2023) found that, even during the COVID pandemic, people experiencing poverty, hunger, or food insecurity continued to face many forms of discrimination. Ciciurkaite and Brown (2023) found that experiences of discrimination that were related to food benefits did diminish the positive effects of public benefits that were meant to serve individuals that were experiencing poverty. Ciciurkaite and Brown's findings are not unique as similar findings had been echoed by others (Thornicroft et al, 2022;Turan et al, 2019).…”

“…In fact, to stigmatize individuals that are going through poverty or food insecurity can be an exacerbating factor for poor self-esteem and other negative internal psychological responses (Carrara, Fernandes, Bobbili, & Ventura, 2021). Studies continue to point to connections between mental illness, poverty, violence, and crime victimization (Ciciurkaite & Brown, 2023). Perpetrators of stigma against individuals that are utilizing public assistance, especially food assistance, ought to consider that there are many layers of problems that lead to seeking such assistances, and that stigmatization and discrimination do exacerbate those problems rather than solve those (Allen et al, 2014).…”