Navigating Mental Health with Allergies: An Expert Discussion with Prof. Rebecca Knibb

In this episode of Let's Talk About Allergies, we revisit our CEO Simon Williams’ conversation with Professor Rebecca Knibb, as they explore the significant psychological pressures individuals with allergies face and the progress made in recognising their mental health needs.They discuss the importance of accessible psychological support for those feeling anxious about their allergies. Prof. Knibb shares her journey into the field, discussing how psychological support for allergy sufferers has evolved over the years. She highlights the need for tailored mental health interventions, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), to help manage anxiety and fear related to allergies. Learn about resources, the significance of addressing mental health in primary and secondary care settings, and how individuals can access psychological support to improve their quality of life.This episode was recorded in 2023 so the studies Prof. Knibb discusses are no longer recruiting. You can learn more about the GAPs study led by Prof. Rebecca Knibb here: Allergy journal article - 2024.Rebecca Knibb is a Chartered Psychologist, practitioner Health Psychologist, and a Professor of Health Psychology at Aston University. Her research interests include the health related quality of life and mental well-being of children, adolescents and parents who are managing allergic conditions and asthma. She is also interested in development of strategies to help families cope through CBT based behaviour change methods and illness beliefs and lay perceptions of medically unexplained symptoms that patients associate with a reaction to food.Follow @rebeccaknibb81