Integration of Mental Health Care into Food Allergy Practices: A Work Group Report of the AAAAI Integrative Medicine Committee

Linda Jones Herbert, Division of Psychology & Behavioral Health, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC; Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Electronic address: lherbert@childrensnational.org.
Grace Cushman, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, Providence, RI.
Amy Hahn, Division of Psychology & Behavioral Health, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Tamara Hubbard, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, LLC, Chicago, Ill; The Food Allergy Counselor, Inc, Chicago, Ill.
Stephanie Ann Kubala, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.
Jennifer LeBovidge, Division of Immunology, Marcus Autism Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
Kaitlin Proctor, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.
Jennifer L. Protudjer, The Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Foods and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ashley Ramos, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
Lisa B. Rosenberg, Safe and Included, LLC Food Allergy Counseling and Consulting, Cherry Hill, NJ.
Nancy Rotter, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass.
Sara Voorhees, Division of Immunology, Marcus Autism Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

11-4-2025

Journal

The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice

DOI

10.1016/j.jaip.2025.08.034

Keywords

Food allergy; Mental health; Psychology

Abstract

Patients with food allergy, clinicians, and researchers have identified mental health support for patients diagnosed with IgE-mediated food allergy and their caregivers as a clinical priority. However, resources that provide guidance on how to integrate mental health professionals into food allergy clinics are lacking. A work group within the Integrative Medicine Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology convened to develop a guidance paper that fills this gap. The report was developed as a practical guide for providers working with patients with food allergy. The report provides specific information on evidence-based mental health treatment approaches and models of care for meeting the mental health needs of patients with food allergy. Further, the report discusses ways that mental health professionals can contribute to food allergy clinics beyond clinical care, including training and research. Tables in the report provide concrete recommendations and resources supporting integration of mental health supports in food allergy clinics.

Department

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

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