The hidden cost of food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Using a two-stage least squares instrumental variable approach, this paper tests the hypothesis that food insecurity is not only a physical deprivation but also a psychological stressor that adversely impacts well-being. Exploiting trade policy-induced variation in food affordability, we show that food insecurity significantly increases the prevalence of mental health disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results highlight an often-overlooked behavioural welfare cost of trade policy and underscore the importance of integrating mental health into economic policy design.