Children’s Mental Health Week 6-12 February
- 01 February 2023
- News
Allergies can sometimes feel overwhelming and very challenging for children and young people. Not only do they worry about having a serious allergic reaction, but there are often social and emotional challenges too that can cause anxiety, such as feeling excluded from social events or allergy bullying.
For Places2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week (6-12 February), we’ve got the following tips to help children and young people manage allergy anxiety.
- Information and education: Helping your child to have a good understanding of their allergy including allergen avoidance, symptoms to look out for, how to treat them and what to do in an emergency gives a sense of control and this can help reduce anxiety. Always use high-quality, evidence-based information such as Anaphylaxis UK factsheets that you can trust.
- Have a clear Allergy Action Plan: Involve your child in developing their allergy action plan, along with their healthcare professional, so they have confidence that they and the adults around them can calmly manage an emergency.
- Encourage independence: As your child grows, encourage them to take an active role in managing their allergies. Teach them about any prescribed medications, how to read labels, ask questions at restaurants and have confidence to talk to others about their allergy.
- Get support: It can be helpful to get support from other families who are dealing with similar challenges.
- Encourage a positive outlook: Help your child focus on their strengths and look for any positives from having an allergy. Some people with food allergies might become more knowledgeable about food and food labelling, which can result in a healthy lifestyle and may also lead to the development of skills in cooking.
- Get professional help: Speak to your GP or allergy specialist if your child seems to be particularly affected by anxiety or worry. They can refer you to any specialist services for children in your area that might be able to provide some support and reassurance.
Living with allergy anxiety can be difficult, but manageable. If you obtain accurate information, always take care to avoid the problem allergens, and carry prescribed medication everywhere, the risks are significantly reduced.
Read more tips and guidance in our online allergy anxiety resource: Anaphylaxis UK Psychological Impact Factsheet
Other Useful Links
https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/
