A brief psychological intervention for mothers of children with food allergy can change risk perception and reduce anxiety: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Mothers of children with food allergy have increased anxiety, which may be influenced by healthcare professionals' communication of risk. Objective: To evaluate a brief psychological intervention for reducing anxiety in mothers of children with food allergy. Methods: Two hundred mothers of children with food allergy were recruited from allergy clinics. A computer-generated randomization list was used to allocate participants to a single-session cognitive behavioural therapy intervention including a risk communication module, or standard care. Anxiety and risk perception were assessed at 6weeks and 1year. Primary outcome was state anxiety at 6weeks. Secondary outcomes included state anxiety at 1year, risk perception at 6weeks and 1year, and salivary cortisol response to a simulated anaphylaxis scenario at 1year. Results: We found no significant difference in the primary outcome state anxiety at 6weeks, with mean 31.9 (SD 10.2) intervention, 34.0 (10.2) control; mean difference 2.1 (95% CI -0.9, 5.0; P=.17). There was significantly reduced state anxiety at 6weeks in the intervention group, in the subgroup of participants with moderate/high anxiety at enrolment (103/200, 52%), with mean 33.0 (SD 9.3) intervention, 37.8 (SD 10.0) control; mean difference 4.8 (95% CI 0.9, 8.7; P=.016; Cohen's d effect size 0.50). The psychological intervention also reduced risk perception and salivary cortisol response (P=.032; effect size 0.36). Conclusion: We found evidence that a brief psychological intervention which incorporates accurate risk information may impact on anxiety, risk perception and physiological stress response in mothers of children with food allergy.