Paula Barrett Research about Allergy and Anxiety

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SUSTAINABLE RESILIENCE Allergies and
Anxiety Preventative Strategies

• Paula Barrett
• Pathways Health
• and Research Centre
• www.pathwayshrc.com.au
• University of Queensland

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Acknowledgments

• My family Ana, Tom, Brad and our pets
• Pathways Team
• All the families we have worked with

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Our mind can overcome almost any adversity

• Norman Doidge

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Risk and Protective Factors for Human Development

• Protective Factors
• Attachment/Affection
• Cognitive style
• Family
• Sleep
• Daily Exercise
• Diet
• School /Work
• Evidence Based Prevention

• Risk Factors
• Temperament Physiological sensitivity low
  thresholds for stress
• Neurological/brain development
• Life Events traumas
• Physical Health

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What we know

• One in five adults children suffer anxiety or
  depression (more prevalent than drug use, ADHD,
  or any other health problem)
• One in five adults or children suffer from
  allergies and associated anxiety
• Less than 5 of cases receive effective
  preventative interventions

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What we know

• 90 of major emotional and psychological
  difficulties and allergies start before 18 years
  of age !

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What we know

• Parents and Health Professionals do not know how
  to access and implement preventative
  Psychological Evidence Based Interventions

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Evidence based interventions
Attachment Stable, unconditionally loving
relationships, Self - soothing, mirror
self-worth, acceptance, safety

• Cognitive
• Positive
• thinking skills
• about self,
• others
• and the environment

Learning Problem solving skills Coping
Behavioural Skills Positive role models Support
networks

• Physiological
• Awareness of body clues
• Relaxation techniques
• Self-regulation
• Managing physical conditions

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Australian Evidence Based Resilience Program
Friends for Life

• F Feelings (awareness and empathy)
• R Relaxation (self reg self soothing)
• I Unhelpful vs helpful thinking
• E Problem Solving and step plans
• N Nurturing confidence
• D Dont forget the ongoing practise
• S Stay calm, You know what is happening, You
  know what to do

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• We cannot always build the future for our youth,
  but we can build our youth for the future

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Early Intervention

• Preventative Interventions - Early prior to onset
  of a disorder
• Preventative Interventions - Early
  developmentally in a childs life

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What WE CAN do

• Education rather than stigma
• Prevention rather than waiting
• Empowerment rather than blaming
• Focus on interactions and learning skills
• Focus on strengths rather than deficits
• Focus on solutions rather than problems

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• Externalising the anxiety and allergy
  challenges empowers the child and the family

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Friedman and Morris, REVIEW Journal of Clinical
Psychology in Medical Settings

• There is an increasing prevalence of anxiety
  disorders and allergic conditions in children and
  adolescents - these illnesses are often comorbid.
  
• Anxiety management skills are needed for parents
  and children
• Allergy management skills are needed for parents
  and children

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Friedman and MorrisWhat can be done

• We must identify at-risk children
• We must study the family history
• We must conduct validated assessments for
  comorbid anxiety and allergies
• We need to target anxious parents and to
  implement exposure and other CBT skills
• We need to develop and evaluate treatments that
  reduce fear associated with the physiological
  symptoms of allergic reactions

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Teufel et al, 07What can be done

• It is important to acknowledge the complex
  interplay between body and mind adults and
  children suffering from food allergy show
  impaired quality of life and a higher level of
  stress and anxiety. We need to develop strategies
  for an optimized management of the various types
  of adverse reactions to food.

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DunnGalvin et al, 09What can be done

• 1 - A developmental framework must link health
  related quality of life and the maturation of the
  immune system.
• 2 - It must also link psychological stress,
  temperament and emotion to neuro-immuno-regulation
  and increased risk of negative impact.
• 3 It must explain both physiological and
  psychological phenomena and their interaction.

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Preventative skills

• Be happy
• Nurture important relationships
• Have fun with children
• Let children be children
• Monitor, cohesion, consistency
• Spend time, interpersonal rewards
• Sleep, Diet, Exercise, Play

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DunnGalvin et al, 09

• Children whose parents encouraged independence
  and self-management were more likely to describe
  positive coping strategies
• If there's food around, I will be careful, but
  otherwise I don't think about it
• I always tell people I'm food allergicits safer
  that way and then you don't have to keep
  explaining

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Cummings Ped All Imm 2010

• Anxiety can be managed by both parents and
  children with positive outcomes for all
  independent of allergy severity and type
  experienced by the children.

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Graves et al, 2010Journal of Pediatric Psychology

• Summarises 70 studies doen with children with
  chronic illness mainly allergies
• Only 50 of families with children adhere to
  treatment and prevention protocols
• Adherence maximises long term health benefits

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THANK YOU!

• WWW.PATHWAYSHRC.COM.AU
• The brain that changes itself Doidge, 07
• Allergies and Anxiety in Children and
  Adolescents A Review of the Literature Friedman
  and Morris, 06
• Psychological burden of food allergy
• Teufel et al, 07
• Developmental Pathways in food allergy a new
  theoretical framework DunnGalvin et al, 09

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