Psychomaintenance of childhood asthma: a study of 34 children.
Following the study on psychomaintenance of asthma by Kinsman, Dirks, and Jones (1977), we adapted the Battery for Asthma Illness Behavior (BAIB) to children. Thirty-four children aged 9.3 to 15.4 years were tested with this modified BAIB. They were scored simultaneously on a semistructured psychological interview. Three groups emerged out of these data: low-, medium-, and high-panic-fear personalities. Patients were also rated with regard to their pulmonary function and clinical status, including medication prescribed. The high-panic-fear personality was significantly associated with a higher intensity of prescribed medication, in particular corticosteroids. These results were independent of spirometric pulmonary measurements. We conclude that doctors may overreact to the exaggerated distress of high-panic-fear patients. Psychotherapy could be of help for this group.
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010200:Panic; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012803:Sick Role