Rouf Khadj, White Loretta, Evans Kathryn
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2012 Jan;17(1):49-64. doi: 10.1177/1359104511415636. Epub 2011 Aug 18.
Severe food allergy has potentially life threatening consequences. Despite the significant impact on quality of life for families affected by food allergy, there is still relatively little known about the psychosocial experience in this area, especially with regards to the parenting experience.
This study focused on the following areas of parental experience: (1) having a young child with severe food allergy; (2) perception of the effect of food allergy on family relationships; (3) managing the challenges associated with severe food allergy.
Eight mothers of children with severe food allergy completed semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a qualitative methodology.
Three superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Parental adjustment-re-establishing an "even keel"; (2) It's a big responsibility: Living with risk; (3) Identity and the social aspects of allergy. This article focuses on the most psychologically salient findings within each of these superordinate themes.
Mothers in this study shared similar concerns to mothers of children with other chronic illnesses. It is recommended that the experience of allergy should be viewed in the wider family context with specific consideration given to parental coping and anxiety. Services could better meet the psychological and social needs of those affected by allergy.
严重食物过敏可能会带来危及生命的后果。尽管食物过敏对受影响家庭的生活质量有重大影响，但在这一领域，尤其是育儿经历方面的社会心理体验仍知之甚少。
本研究聚焦于以下几个方面的父母体验：（1）养育患有严重食物过敏的幼儿；（2）对食物过敏对家庭关系影响的认知；（3）应对与严重食物过敏相关的挑战。
八位患有严重食物过敏儿童的母亲完成了半结构化访谈。访谈记录采用质性研究方法——诠释现象学分析（IPA）进行分析。
分析得出三个上位主题：（1）父母的调整——重新恢复“平稳状态”；（2）责任重大：与风险共存；（3）过敏的身份认同及社会层面。本文聚焦于这些上位主题中最具心理显著性的发现。
本研究中的母亲与患有其他慢性病孩子的母亲有着相似的担忧。建议应在更广泛的家庭背景下看待过敏经历，并特别考虑父母的应对方式和焦虑情绪。相关服务可以更好地满足过敏患者的心理和社会需求。
