By James Barron, Santa Fe New Mexican
Dec. 17, 2020
New Mexico families are struggling more than those in most other states when it comes to food insecurity and mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, a national nonprofit said in a report Monday.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, a charitable organization focused on the well-being of children, issued a study that examined data from the U.S. Census Bureau. It found 27 percent of parents surveyed in New Mexico reported feeling down, hopeless or depressed, and 20 percent said their families sometimes or often did not have enough food. New Mexico was at the top of those categories, tying Pennsylvania and Mississippi regarding emotional well-being and Mississippi on lack of food.
The national average of parents feeling depressed during the pandemic was 21 percent, and 14 percent said they struggled with providing enough food, the report said.