THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Food allergy (FA)-related distress is common and varies across countries, according to a study published in the October issue of Allergy.

Rebecca C. Knibb, Ph.D., from Aston University in the United Kingdom, and colleagues recruited 1,329 adults with FA and 1,907 caregivers of children with FA from more than 20 countries through patient organizations, social media advertisements, and online survey panels to examine psychological distress and service use via completion of an online survey.

The researchers found that 67.7 percent of adults and 77.2 percent of caregivers reported direct experience, and about half (51.6 percent) of caregivers said that their child had experienced psychological distress related to FA. Anxiety about having an allergic reaction was the most commonly reported issue. Assessment for FA-related psychological distress was reported by less than 20 percent. Across countries, levels of distress, screening for distress, seeing a mental health professional, and being diagnosed with an FA-related mental health disorder differed significantly across countries. The highest number of participants reporting distress was seen in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil. Cost was the most commonly reported barrier to seeing a mental health professional.

"Our research highlights a major unmet need for psychological support for food allergy," Knibb said in a statement. "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."

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry, including Novartis and Aimmune, which funded the study.

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