Nut allergy is known to impact on the quality of life (QoL) and anxiety of both the allergic child and their parents.
41 nut allergic children (age 6-16 yrs) and their mothers completed questionnaires to assess maternal and children's QoL, anxiety and stress.
Children with nut allergy had poorer emotional, social, and psychological QoL compared to healthy normative data. This was not influenced by the severity of previous reactions.
Mother and child reported lower anxiety when the child was prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector.
Prescribing auto-injectors was associated with reduced anxiety for food allergic children and their mothers, but was not associated with reduced risk-taking behavior.
My opinion: EpiPen is not cheap and with the possibility of a bi-phasic reaction (a second reaction at a later time), most people will need 2 injectors, just in case. However, an epinephrine injector can literally make the difference between life and death in an anaphylactic reaction. If EpiPen (or any other epinephrine injector) is recommended by your doctor, you should carry it with you at all times.
References:
Management of nut allergy influences quality of life and anxiety in children and their mothers.
Cummings AJ, Knibb RC, Erlewyn-Lajeunesse M, King RM, Roberts G, Lucas JS. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2010 Jan 14.
Individuals with allergic rhinitis appear to be at a higher risk for developing anxiety and mood disorders - study http://goo.gl/hIwq9
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