Addressing Anxiety and Depression in the Allergy Clinic Through Motivational Interviewing, Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Curious Questions

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2025 May 16:S2213-2198(25)00485-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2025.05.020. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Allergic diseases, particularly food allergy, can be associated with significant psychosocial impairment. Allergist-immunologists can provide evidence-based information to correct misperceptions and misunderstandings regarding food allergy that may perpetuate cycles of fear and anxiety. While motivational interviewing can be an empathetic approach to empower patients to actualize health goals, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to provide disease-state insight to facilitate an understanding of risk which can facilitate transformation of health beliefs and behavior. Brief CBT (bCBT) is a clinical approach that can help address ineffective management paradigms through conversations that begin with curious questions. In this review we discuss evidence supporting implementation of an integrated method of CBT in the allergy-immunology clinic and provide resources for this approach.

PMID:40383432 | DOI:10.1016/j.jaip.2025.05.020