A brief psychological intervention for mothers of children with food allergy can change risk perception and reduce anxiety: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial

Food allergy (FA) is recognized as a growing public health burden affecting 5%‐10% of children worldwide. Several unique features specific to FA elicit high levels of emotional distress and anxiety in patients and caregivers, the first among all the possibility of a life‐threatening reaction. Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in patients with chronic disease, but remain undertreated despite significant negative consequences on patient health. This review aimed to offer a comprehensive overview of literature data on FA and anxiety of the last two decades. A review of the medical and psychological literature from the year 2000 (MEDLINE, PubMed and PsycINFO) was done using the keywords “anxiety” and “food allergy.” Clinical implications for disease management, various manifestations in different target groups, proper interventions and possible explanations on the nature of the association between FA and anxiety have been discussed, as well as limitations and further research directions. The relationship between FA and anxiety is attributed to FA‐specific fears and anxiety, rather than a general propensity towards anxiety. Some anxiety—short‐lived and related to key events–is to be expected and may even be helpful if it sustains allergen avoidance and preparedness to emergency. However, some data reported that increased anxiety did not improve adherence. Rather, high levels of anxiety have been demonstrated counterproductive and related to maladaptive coping. Further research is needed to elucidate the association between FA and anxiety, especially to understand biopsychosocial directions of the underlying mechanisms and to build proper, effective, standardized protocols of intervention. Clinicians must be aware of the association between FA and anxiety, understand their role in recognizing maladaptive anxiety and encouraging to seek psychological support when needed.

Section: Results From the Selected Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety and food allergy: A review of the last two decades

Polloni

Muraro

2020

“…Brief CBT interventions may also be useful for anxious parents. In a randomised control trial, Boyle et al provided mothers of children with food allergy with one CBT‐based risk communication session in allergy clinic by clinicians with training in CBT, followed by reinforcement at 2 weeks and 6 weeks. Whilst overall, no significant difference was found between the intervention and control group in the short‐term following such a brief intervention, a sub‐group of mothers who had moderate to high anxiety in clinic exhibited statistically significantly reduced state anxiety at 6 weeks following the CBT intervention compared to controls.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological services for food allergy: The unmet need for patients and families in the United Kingdom

Knibb

Halsey

James

et al. 2019

Research over the past 20 years has demonstrated the significant impact food allergy can have on quality of life and mental health of patients and their families, yet there is a paucity of psychological services to support families in coping with this condition. This paper provides a short overview of the psychological impact of food allergy, followed by a discussion of the use of paediatric psychological services for long‐term conditions. To our knowledge, few paediatric allergy clinics in the UK have funding for dedicated clinical psychology services. Two such services are based at Southampton General Hospital and the Evelina London Children's Hospital. This paper includes descriptions of these services and how they are currently being used by patients and families. This is followed by an allergy clinician's perspective on the use of psychological services. Recommendations are made for allergy services to work with hospital psychology services to develop, integrate and deliver psychological services for all patients with allergy and their families who are in need. Future research also needs to focus on the efficacy of psychological therapies and group interventions in food allergy.

“…42 Specific immunotherapy is another option although serious adverse events are not infrequent. 45 They found that anxiety could be reduced in mother with moderate/high anxiety at enrolment. Tao has described how boiled peanuts are associated with less reactions than expected in an observational cases series of children undergoing peanut oral allergen immunotherapy (OIT).…”

Section: Food Allergymentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Boyle and colleagues have published a randomized controlled trial looking at a brief psychological intervention for food allergy. 45 They found that anxiety could be reduced in mother with moderate/high anxiety at enrolment.…”

Section: Food Allergymentioning

confidence: 98%

Developments in the field of allergy in 2017 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy

Roberts

Almqvist

Boyle

et al. 2018