Psychological approaches to the treatment of asthma.
Outcome literature on psychological treatment for asthma covers psychoeducational self-management programs, relaxation therapy, biofeedback, and family therapy. Psychoeducational approaches now being standardized in a national program are cost-effective. They produce improved adjustment, increased medication compliance, greater perceived self-competence in managing symptoms, and decreased use of medical services. Significant effects have been found for relaxation therapy, although it is not clear whether the effectiveness depends on whole-body relaxation or specifically facial- or respiratory-muscle relaxation. Family therapy is helpful to some asthmatics. Active components in these methods remain to be identified as do the populations whom they can best serve. Biofeedback for respiratory resistance, trachea sounds, and vagal tone shows promise but has not been given adequate clinical testing.
Lehrer
P M
PM
Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway 08854-5635.
Sargunaraj
D
D
Hochron
S
S
D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology; D002648:Child; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology