2. Mental well-being Flashcards
Discuss how the mental well-being of the patient is being affected.
Stress
Sarafino (2012)
Defines stress as a result of a discrepancy between the resources of an individuals biological, psychological or social systems and the physical or psychological demands of a situation.
Qualitative and quantitative research has consistently found an association between food allergies and anxiety - often related to concerns over safe management of the condition.
Stress
Transactional Model of Stress
The transactional model of stress emphasises the role of appraisal of a situation in the perception of stress (first appraisal) and how we cope with it (second appraisal).
If we can’t cope with it, then we respond with stress.
Acute stress
The fight or flight response
The fight or flight response is an acute stress response the body’s sympathetic nervous system is activated due to the sudden release of hormones.
The sympathetic nervous systems stimulate the adrenal glands triggering the release of cortisol adrenaline and noradrenaline. This results in an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate.
Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system activation
Results in the release of cortisol.
Changes in carbohydrate stores, inflammation and immune function.
Mandell et al (2005)
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis
Interviewed parents of 17 children with peanut allergies and had a history of anaphylaxis. They reported that a lack for information provided at diagnosis increased anxiety and uncertainty in managing the risk of accidental ingestion of peanuts.
Gillespie, Woodgate, Chalmers and Watson (2007)
Food allergy and Anaphylaxis
Interviewed 6 mothers of children aged 6-12 at risk of anaphylaxis.
They reported five themes: “Living with Fear,” “Worrying About Well-Being,” “Looking for Control,” “Relying on Resources,” and “It Is Hard But It Is Not.”
Mothers felt that they lived in fear in the present and for the future of their child, explaining depression as well as anxiety.
Arndt et al (2008)
Atopic Dermatitis and Stress
Having AD has been shown to cause stress. Stress may induce flare ups of the skin as it impairs the skin barrier function and alters immune system functioning to produced a TH2 allergic response.
Those with AD may also have inherited hypothalamic deficiency which impairs normal HPA axis function. Neuropeptides released in the skin may also mediate neurogenic inflammation, including mast cell degranulation in response to stress.
Therefore stress causes flare-ups and flare-ups cause stress.
Friedman and Morris (2006)
FA and Anxiety +
In a review of the literature on allergies and anxiety in children and adolescents, Friedman and Morris (2006) put forward cognitive behavioural and biological explanations for the link between anxiety and food allergy.
The role of learning and parental modelling of anxious behaviour to activities such as administering emergency treatment can lead to increase anxiety in the child.
Roy et al (2011)
Child-anxiety
His study examined relationships between health-related quality of life, child anxiety, and parental stress in children with peanut allergy. A total of 51 families completed questionnaires regarding child anxiety, parenting stress, and quality of life.
Although many children with peanut allergy function well, a certain subset of children and families appear to experience high levels of parenting stress and high levels of child anxiety that can affect health-related quality of life.
