Select an example of a psychological factor related to asthma.
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BackgroundPsychological variables (anxiety, depression, and coping strategies) and asthma control (assessed from the patient's perspective or from the physician's perspective) affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in asthmatic patients. However, no study has simultaneously evaluated these variables to understand the independent contribution of each one of these factors to HRQoL. ObjectiveTo determine the impact of anxiety, depression, coping strategies, and asthma control on HRQoL, and to compare the impact of asthma control on HRQoL when it is established by the physician versus when it is considered by the patient. ResultsAnxiety, depression, and poor patient-rated asthma control status were associated with worse HRQoL in all dimensions (except Mental Health for asthma control). Physician-rated asthma control was related to worse HRQoL in physical generic and specific dimensions. Among coping strategies, only avoidant coping impacted HRQoL in a few dimensions. ConclusionsAnxiety, depression, and asthma control (especially patient-rated asthma control) were important independent predictors of asthma HRQoL, and all of them should therefore be considered in interventions to improve HRQoL in asthmatic patients. Section snippetsPatientsUsing a cross-sectional study, we recruited participants consecutively from outpatients of the allergy or pneumology practices of the University Hospital Complex of Ourense (Spain), a tertiary center belonging to the Spanish public health care system that attends to patients referred from primary care. Inclusion criteria were: (1) a physician's diagnosis of asthma, (2) at least 6 months since the diagnosis, (3) age between 18 and 75 years, (4) reading-writing ability in Spanish, and (5) no ResultsA total of 373 asthmatic patients (55.3% were recruited in allergy practices, and 44.7% in pneumology practices) participated in the study. Characteristics of the sample are summarized in Table I. The mean age of this sample was 36.88 ± 14.90 years (range, 18-75 years), the mean age of the patients when they were diagnosed with asthma was 25.62 ± 14.82 years (range, 1-67 years), and the mean duration of the disease was 11.98 ± 10.90 years (range, 0-67 years). The treatment the patients were DiscussionOur results show that asthma affects both generic dimensions and specific dimensions of HRQoL, and the main variables that determine this impact on HRQoL are anxiety, depression, and patient-rated asthma control. The impact of asthma on HRQoL was assessed using 2 complementary approaches: a generic questionnaire (SF-36) and a specific questionnaire (SGRQ). Both questionnaires coincided in indicating the physical dimensions as the most damaged, whereas the mental dimensions remain the least AcknowledgmentsWe thank Dr. José Manuel García Pazos, Dr. Pedro Marcos Velázquez, Dr. Carlos García de la Cuesta, Dra. María Genoveva Álvarez Eire, and Dra. Susana Varela for their support in registering the clinic data of the patients. We also thank Dr. Salvador Pita Fernández (deceased) for his valuable contribution in the development of this study.
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Recommended articles (6)© 2019 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology What are the psychological causes of asthma?Strong emotions and stress are well known triggers of asthma. There is evidence of a link between asthma, anxiety and depression, though the outcomes are sometimes not consistent. Anxiety and depression may be associated with poor asthma control.
What are the physiological effects of asthma?Asthma is a condition in which your airways narrow and swell and may produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, a whistling sound (wheezing) when you breathe out and shortness of breath. For some people, asthma is a minor nuisance.
Is asthma is a psychological condition?Some studies find that the severity of asthma is linked to depression. In epidemiologic studies, asthma is significantly associated with depression, but not generalized anxiety, although there is a large association with panic disorder, where symptom confusion between the 2 disorders can lead to mistreatment of both.
Which psychiatric disorders is very common in patients with asthma?In research among adults, studies conducted among clinical and general practice samples have found higher than expected rates of anxiety disorders (particularly panic disorder) and of major depression among those with asthma [3–10].
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