Evaluation of Anxiety and Caregiver Burden in the Mothers of 0-2 Children with Food Allergy

Abstract

Aim: Patients with food allergy and their families have poor quality of life, anxiety, depression, and stress compared to healthy individuals, and the Caregiver Burden is high in the parents. In our study, it was aimed to evaluate the anxiety disorder that may accompany the mothers of food allergic patients aged 0-2 years, and to examine the Caregiver Burden in the mothers of food allergic patients. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire about sociodemographic data, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), Psychological Symptom Checklist (SCL 90-R), and Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale were administered to the mothers of food -allergic children aged 0-2 years and the mothers of healthy children (MHC) as the control group. Results: Sixty seven mothers of children with food allergy and 74 MHC were enrolled in the study. Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale was significantly higher in the mothers of children with food allergy than in the MHC (p=0.018). Mothers of food allergic children had a significantly higher overall score on the general SCL 90-R scale (p=0.045). While the hospital anxiety scale score was significantly higher in the mothers of children with a food allergy, there was no difference in the HADS (p=0.045, p=0.825, respectively). Conclusion: Evaluation of mothers' emotional status such as burden, anxiety, and depression and coping with food allergy strategies can be neglected. Therefore, the requirement of psychosocial support for the mothers of children with food allergy, especially in the young age group, should be evaluated and provided when necessary.