A multimethod assessment of behavioral and emotional adjustment in children with asthma.
OBJECTIVE
Examine behavioral adjustment and emotion regulation among 6-year-old children with asthma and a group of healthy controls.


METHODS
Subjects were 81 children with asthma and 22 healthy controls. Asthma and allergy statuses were confirmed by objective measures. Emotional and behavioral functioning were assessed through parent report, child interview, and child participation in an emotional regulation paradigm.


RESULTS
Maternal report revealed more internalizing and total behavior problems for children with asthma compared to controls. Child interview and behavioral observations of emotion regulation yielded no differences between groups. Severity of asthma was related to increased emotional difficulties by clinician interview and observation but not by maternal report.


CONCLUSIONS
Two groups of children with asthma who have psychological difficulties include those with increased anxiety and those with poor emotion regulation and more asthma symptoms. Different measures of child adjustment yield a complex picture of the behavioral difficulties associated with pediatric asthma.
Klinnert
M D
MD
National Jewish Medical and Research Center/University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80206, USA. KlinnertM@njc.org
McQuaid
E L
EL
McCormick
D
D
Adinoff
A D
AD
Bryant
N E
NE
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000339:Affect; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment