A recent study co-led by Aston University has uncovered alarming levels of psychological distress among adults living with food allergies and those caring for children with allergies. The research, conducted as part of the Global Access to Psychological Services (GAPS) for Food Allergy study, has revealed that support for those experiencing emotional challenges is severely lacking.

This study and data are particularly relevant with Anaphylaxis Awareness Week (1-7 October 2024) starting on Tuesday, which focuses on the emotional toll of allergies. According to the research, two-thirds of adults with food allergies and three-quarters of adult caregivers report psychological distress related to food allergies.

Despite these high levels of distress, less than 10 percent of UK and Canadian participants had been screened for psychological conditions during routine food allergy appointments. only a fifth of participants had accessed psychological support. The study surveyed 1,329 adults and 1,907 caregivers from over 20 countries, highlighting the global scale of the issue.

Anxiety surrounding potential allergic reactions was the most commonly reported concern among adults, followed closely by general anxiety related to living with food allergies. Participants also frequently expressed worries about avoiding unsafe foods and the loss of a normal life. For caregivers, the fear of trusting others with their child’s care and concern that people would not take the allergy seriously were major sources of stress.

The research found that countries such as the UK, Australia and Brazil had some of the highest rates of distress. However, the availability of psychological help was limited, with the cost of care being the most significant barrier. Despite the study finding a low level of stigma associated with seeking mental health support, few participants had been assessed or referred to mental health professionals trained in managing food allergy-related conditions.

Opportunity for change

The researchers have called for more widespread psychological screening for people live with food allergies, especially to address anxiety and low mood. They have also emphasised the need for affordable, or ideally free, psychological services to ensure wider access to care and a desire for more educational and informational resources.

Professor Knibb said, “Our research highlights a major unmet need for psychological support for food allergy. The cost of support is a significant barrier across all countries in our survey and ways of providing free and easily accessible support is clearly needed. We hope to address this in our GAPS study and are currently developing an online toolkit for adults and caregivers which will support them in managing food allergy.”