Food Allergies Essay

Anxiety disorders are common mental health diagnoses in children and adolescents with the estimated prevalence of (? 31.9% with a median age at onset of 6 years. New numbers) and when in severe range can affect child functioning in all areas of child life. . Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychiatric disorders that are co-morbid with medical illnesses. There is association between childhood asthma eczema (slattery and reference) allergies and anxiety disorders of childhood; however, the data on food allergies and its association with anxiety disorders in children seems to be sparse. In children with severe food allergies, anxiety and parental stress have been shown to negatively impact quality of life scores especially among
Children with comorbid anxiety disorders and medical illnesses have been shown to have high risk of developing mental health problems as adults. Children who have allergies and anxiety may be impacted in the following ways: school attendance and achieving developmental mile stones.
A review of the literature by Abby H. Friedman and Tracy L. Morris seems to indicate a consistent association between childhood allergies and anxiety disorders of childhood. However, the data on food allergies and its association with anxiety disorders seem to be sparse. One study by Lyons and Forde found that adolescents with food allergies experienced an increase in anxiety symptoms when compared with adolescents without food allergies. . In the United States, the estimated prevalence of asthma in children is 14% and food allergy is 4-5% but rates reported in the anxiety clinic seemed much higher than that
Once consent is obtained, caregivers and children or adolescents are given in the Anxiety Clinic, a series of questionnaires and screens including: SCARED (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders). Questionnaire designed by our investigators are administrated to parent if child younger than 14 and to adolescent if older than 14. We collecting data related to: reported history of food allergies, eczema, asthma, and history of allergy treatments in patient and family members. Using Family questionnaire we are collecting data related to family, developmental and social history including parent education level, ethnic background. In Allergy Clinic we administrated SCARED to parents and children and the Questionnaire designed by our investigators to collect data from children and parents related to diagnosis of anxiety and obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCD) in subjects, parents and siblings including anxiety and OCD treatment history including therapy and medications. IRB approval has been