Exploring how Food Allergies can affect emotional well-being:

The impact:

• About one in three children with food allergy reports being bullied due to food allergy. Moreover, among children with allergies to more than two foods, over half report being bullied due to food allergy.
• Compared to children who do not have a medical condition, children with food allergy are twice as likely to be bullied.
• More than one-quarter of parents surveyed during food allergy appointments report that their children do not participate in camp or sleepovers because of food allergy. More than 15 percent of the parents participating in this survey do not go to restaurants, and more than 10 percent avoid child care settings or playdates at friends’ houses. Ten percent of the parents home-school their children to prevent food allergen exposure.
• In another report, among parents of young children in the first year after food allergy diagnosis, most avoid restaurants and about half restrict social activities or travel.
• Mothers of food-allergic children under age five have significantly higher blood-pressure measurements and report significantly greater levels of psychosocial stress than mothers whose preschool-aged children do not have food allergies.

“The daily fear of an allergic reaction can create persistent psychological stress, especially in children and adolescents”. -National Institute on Mental Health, 2021

Key Mental Health Impacts:

• Anxiety & Hypervigilance: “Constant fear of exposure can lead to heightened anxiety and panic disorders” (Bollinger et al., 2006).
• Social Isolation: Avoiding events due to food-related fears can limit peer connection and increase loneliness. (Warren et al., 2020).
• Depression: “Chronic stress from managing allergies may contribute to low mood and depressive episodes” (Marklun et al., 2007).
• Bullying & Trauma: Studies show that about 35% of children with food allergies experience bullying (Liberman et al., 2010).

Strategies for Support:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: To manage allergy related anxiety.

Psychoeducation: To reduce fear and increase coping.

Mindfulness: Relaxation and calming techniques.

Food allergies don’t just impact the individual’s body, they impact their mental and emotional wellbeing. Recognizing this connection is important while supporting the individual and their families.

Learn more about Food Allergies & Mental Health here:

www.foodallergy.org

www.nimh.nih.gov

www.aaaai.org

References:

Bollinger, M. E., et al. (2006). The impact of food allergy on the daily activities of children and their families. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 96(3), 415–421.

Lieberman, J. A., et al. (2010). Bullying among pediatric patients with food allergies. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 105(4), 282–288.

Marklund, B., et al. (2007). Psychosocial health among children with objectively diagnosed food hypersensitivity. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 18(6), 480–486.

Warren, C. M., et al. (2020). Psychosocial burden of food allergy among adolescents. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 8(1), 273–276.

(Stephanie Kahn, CSW Clinical Intern) Monthly Focus June