Food Purchasing Choices as Indicators of Stress and Mental Health: Insights from Italy During and After the COVID-19 Lockdown

Existing literature highlights a connection between the overconsumption of certain foods and the risk of developing depression and declining mental health. Building on this, our study explores whether changes in the consumption patterns of specific foods serve as early indicators of psychological distress, potentially preceding mental health conditions that prompt the use of medications such as anxiolytics, antidepressants, and sedatives. To explore this relationship, we leverage the COVID-19 lockdown as a natural experiment, representing a period marked by heightened stress and anxiety that led to an increase in the use of mental health medications.
Our analysis focuses on detecting shifts in the consumption of ”emotional foods” during and after the lockdown and measuring their association with subsequent drug use. Using panel regression models applied to weekly purchase data from the YouGov Consumer Panel scanner dataset spanning three years (2019-2021), we find a significant increase in the consumption of unhealthy, comfort foods and drinks, with a corresponding association with the use of psycholeptic drugs.

Joint work with Beatrice Biondi (Dept. of Statistical Sciences, University of Bologna)