Household job insecurity, food insufficiency, and children's mental health needs: Household Pulse Survey in June 2023

Background Economic hardships have far-reaching implications for families with children, impacting their well-being and development during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to household financial problems following job loss and reduced income. As parents or caregivers face financial difficulties, children may experience emotional distress through heightened anxiety and a sense of helplessness. This study examined the effects of household job insecurity and food insufficiency due to the pandemic's aftermath on the mental well-being of children in the United States. Method This study utilized data from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS) during June 7-19, 2023 (Phase 3.9). The prevalence and effect of job insecurity, delineated by recent household job loss and employment status, and food insufficiency, measured through levels of food insufficiency, were analyzed across households with different age groups of children: under 5 years, 5-11 years, and 12-17 years, with an overall perspective on children under 18. We calculated unweighted observations, survey-weighted proportions, and survey-weighted 95% confidence intervals to analyze the impact of job insecurity and food insufficiency on children's mental health treatment needs. Results This study highlighted differences in economic hardships due to household job insecurity and food insufficiency across households with children in multiple age groups. There were almost twice as many respondents with no work in the last 7 days (33.68%) compared to those who experienced job loss within the last 4 weeks (14.82%). Additionally, 51.68% of respondents reported food insufficiency over the last 7 days, with more than half of the households experiencing food insufficiency due to the inability to afford more food. Mental health treatment needs among children were significantly higher in households experiencing job loss and food insufficiency. The need for mental health support for children increased with age in households facing job loss or no employment. Conclusions This study enhances our understanding of post-pandemic economic hardships and their influence on children's mental health needs across different age groups. By identifying disparities and patterns, policymakers and practitioners can design targeted interventions to address employment opportunities and food access in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing mental health treatments is crucial, especially for children aged 5-11 and 12-17, who are at higher risk of experiencing emotional distress due to household economic hardships.