In this episode of Let's Talk About Allergies, Anaphylaxis UK welcomes back Prof. Chrissie Jones to delve deeper into the mental health challenges faced by parents, adults, and children living with food allergies. Join us as we explore Prof. Jones’s recent research on two key psychological approaches: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). We’ll discuss how these methods can effectively reduce anxiety, worry, and depression related to food allergies.

This episode also highlights the potential benefits of group therapy settings, the importance of training non-psychologists, and strategies to expand access to these helpful resources. We’ll address the trauma associated with anaphylactic reactions, effective ways for parents to manage anxiety transfer to their children, and the unique challenges faced by those newly diagnosed with allergies. Tune in for an insightful conversation that aims to empower those navigating the complexities of allergies.

Chrissie Jones is a Professor in Clinical Health Psychology and was awarded a PhD from the Brighton & Sussex Medical School evaluating the extent to which social cognition models could explain adherence to self-care behaviours in children and young people with food allergy. Prior to her PhD, Chrissie completed an MSc in Health Psychology and BA in Social Psychology both at the University of Sussex.

Please see below the resources mentioned in the podcast:

Online, group, low-intensity psychological intervention for adults, children, and parents with food allergy

A review of freely available online support for food allergy related emotional well-being. This paper has links to helpful resources.

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