Ae-Ngibise Kenneth Ayuurebobi, Asare-Doku Winifred, Peprah Jennifer, Mujtaba Mohammed Nuhu, Nifasha Diane, Donnir Gordon Maanianu
School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo P.O. Box 200, Bono East Region, Ghana.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2021 Oct 25;11(11):146. doi: 10.3390/bs11110146.
(1) Background: Food insufficiency is a global pandemic affecting many people, especially those residing in developing countries. African countries have been affected by food insufficiency, which is mostly caused by drought or wars. Famine or food insufficiency has been reported to have an impact on the psychological health and quality of life of people affected. This review assessed the mental health outcomes of famine and food insufficiency in West Africa. (2) Methods: A search of the published literature was conducted using PubMed, PsycExtra, Medline, and PsycINFO databases. The search was limited to papers published in English between the years 2010 and 2020. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts of the retrieved papers using pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and a third reviewer resolved conflicts. Data were extracted and appraised using a data extraction form and an appraisal checklist. (3) Results: A total of 81 papers were identified through the journal databases search. Out of the seven papers that met the inclusion criteria, six papers used cross-sectional designs and one paper used an experimental design. The six papers used quantitative approach for data collection, while the one paper used a qualitative technique. The evidence synthesized from this review indicated that exposure to food insecurity or insufficiency is associated with increased psychological distress including anxiety, sleeplessness, intellectual disability, general mental, and emotional instability. (4) Conclusions: This review strongly highlights the need for further research across the sub-region. It further suggests that famine and food insufficiency are associated with significant mental health problems in adults and impacts the cognitive and intellectual development of children. Although there is paucity of literature about famine and its impact on mental health in West Africa, these findings are important for developing social policy initiatives for increasing food supply and mental health interventions for all ages.
(1) 背景：粮食短缺是一场影响众多人口的全球危机，尤其对发展中国家的居民影响较大。非洲国家深受粮食短缺之害，这主要是由干旱或战争造成的。据报道，饥荒或粮食短缺会影响受影响人群的心理健康和生活质量。本综述评估了西非饥荒和粮食短缺对心理健康的影响。(2) 方法：利用PubMed、PsycExtra、Medline和PsycINFO数据库对已发表文献进行检索。检索范围限于2010年至2020年间发表的英文论文。两名评审员根据预先确定的纳入和排除标准独立筛选检索到的论文的标题和摘要，第三名评审员解决分歧。使用数据提取表和评估清单提取并评估数据。(3) 结果：通过期刊数据库检索共识别出81篇论文。在符合纳入标准的7篇论文中，6篇采用横断面设计，1篇采用实验设计。6篇论文采用定量方法收集数据，1篇采用定性技术。本综述综合的证据表明，经历粮食不安全或短缺与心理困扰增加有关，包括焦虑、失眠、智力残疾、一般心理问题和情绪不稳定。(4) 结论：本综述强烈强调了在该次区域进行进一步研究的必要性。它还表明，饥荒和粮食短缺与成年人的重大心理健康问题相关，并影响儿童的认知和智力发育。尽管关于西非饥荒及其对心理健康影响的文献较少，但这些发现对于制定增加粮食供应的社会政策举措和针对各年龄段的心理健康干预措施具有重要意义。
