Abstract
Adolescence is a critical developmental stage for autonomy, identity formation, and social belonging — all of which may be disrupted by chronic health conditions. This qualitative study explores how adolescents living with the risk of life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) understand and manage their condition in everyday life, with a focus on psychological and social dimensions.
We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine Norwegian adolescents (aged 12–16) diagnosed with severe allergies. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore subjective experiences, behavioral strategies, and perceptions of support.
Three main themes emerged: (1) Living with constant vigilance – Adolescents described heightened risk perception, anticipatory anxiety, and the emotional impact of not being believed by peers or adults; (2) Building personal agency and competence – Health-related self-efficacy developed through experience, routinized behavior, and parental modeling, especially from mothers; (3) Need for systemic understanding and support – Participants highlighted structural barriers to effective self-management, including inadequate school preparedness and lack of tailored health education.
These findings underscore the importance of developmentally and psychologically informed interventions to support adolescents’ self-regulation, coping, and decision-making under conditions of health-related threat. Supporting autonomy, validating lived experience, and improving systemic responsiveness can reduce psychological stress and promote safer, more engaged health behaviors. Co-designed interventions that integrate behavioral, emotional, and contextual factors may strengthen both individual and institutional readiness for allergy management.