Abstract
Rationale
Psychological distress is common among children with food allergy (FA) and their caregivers. Barriers to mental health (MH) treatment have been identified, yet little is known about experiences and attitudes among patients accessing MH care.
Methods
As part of the Global Access to Psychological Services for Food Allergy (GAPS) Study, caregivers of children with FA (N=1869) completed online surveys about experiences with psychological services. Most participants (94.4%) lived in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, or the United States.
Results
Twenty-two percent (N=411) of caregivers reported receiving MH treatment for FA-related concerns; 26.4% of these received treatment for themselves, 48.7% for their child, and 24.9% for both. Caregivers asked primary care physicians (32.9%), friends (22.3%), and allergists (11.4%) for provider recommendations. Cognitive behavioral therapy was the most common treatment (43%). Most caregivers were very (42.4%) or somewhat (34.1%) satisfied with their experience. However, 40.0% visited with more than one MH provider because they were not initially satisfied. The majority (62.4%) perceived MH providers were at least somewhat knowledgeable about FA, though estimates across countries varied from 31.8% (Australia) to 96.0% (Portugal). Likewise, most reported MH providers were at least somewhat helpful at addressing FA concerns (72.1%); estimates across countries varied from 45.5% (Australia) to 96.0% (Portugal).
Conclusions
Caregivers generally reported satisfaction with MH treatment for FA-related psychological distress and believed their providers were somewhat knowledgeable about FA. However, few received MH recommendations from allergists, many reported needing to try multiple MH providers, and attitudes about experiences varied among countries.