Psychosocial consequences and their management

Food allergy is a condition that is associated with high levels of anxiety, worry, stress and poor quality of life in patients and families. Despite this, access to specialist psychological support is recognized as lacking, as are evidenced-based psychological interventions for food allergy more generally. The little evidence available points to the usefulness of psychological therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help patients and families manage food allergy and lead a good quality of life. This article discusses the current evidence for effective psychological management of food allergy and provides some practical advice for patients and families.