How can we support mental health in children managing chronic health conditions like allergies, asthma and eczema?
Research shows that, ‘children with asthma and food allergies or intolerances are at risk of having concurrent mental health problems‘¹.
At Allergy and Asthma Parents, we understand that managing allergies, asthma, and eczema isn’t just about physical health—it’s about nurturing mental well-being too. We strive to support families managing all aspects of navigating these complex conditions. We address and offer support in the emotional challenges that come with day to day life through research based resources and personal experiences from all those within our group.
As we know, as parents of children with these health conditions ourselves, the unpredictable nature of flare-ups, reactions and the need for constant vigilance, can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, and frustration. Though we as parents and caregivers try our best to shield our children of the worries that come hand in hand with allergies and asthma, it is inevitable as our children become more independent, that they will begin to have more control over their medication, food and overall health. It is understandable then, why our children may feel these worries too.
As children start school, they my feel different from their friends, especially if their health conditions require dietary restrictions, frequent hospital appointments and treatment or impacts their ability to participate in certain activities.
Through our support group and working with local schools and school nursing teams, we are building strategies to help to support children who are feeling such big emotions at such a young age.
As we continue to develop and build our community and support network of families managing allergies, asthma and eczema, we continue to add to our bank of strategies for supporting children and their mental wellbeing. Learning from those who have lived experience of similar issues, sharing and together, learning and above all else, knowing that we aren’t alone.
How do you manage mental wellbeing in your children with allergies, asthma, eczema or other chronic health conditions?
We would love to know your strategies and thoughts. Please leave a comment below.
In February 2024, our community support group celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week.
We recognised the week with a range of activities for children aged from 3 to 12 years.
Activities included yoga and mindfulness, therapeutic free from dough, books with a focus on managing feelings and emotions, making breathing wands as well as helping the Colour Monster by organising their feelings so that they didn’t feel jumbled up.
We also celebrated families that came along, by sending positivity postcards for parents to take home, acknowledging their accomplishments on their allergy journey.
Through meeting with other families at this event, children were able to chat and play with others who were experiencing similar challenges to themselves. As well as this, parents and caregivers were also able to chat and unload sharing experiences and strategies.
We finished our afternoon with a safe snack that could be enjoyed by all, again building on inclusion, respect, diversity and validation for both children and their families.
The conversation of mental health was then continued in our community WhatsApp group, where those that weren’t able to attend, could catch up.
Thank you to Bramhall Library for providing the space for us to host the event and to Paolina at Tesco Handforth Dean for donating safe snacks for our children to enjoy.
Together with the support from Helen Herring, Child Psychologist, we created this information leaflet, which we handed out to families at our event. The leaflet suggests strategies that children can access and implement when their feelings are getting a little too big.
Below are a few of the documents used at our event.
Please feel free to download and use them to help to support you and your family.
We do ask if shared, please credit Allergy and Asthma Parents with a link to our page.
Thank you
References
¹ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33284466/