Psychiatric diagnoses in inner city outpatients with moderate to severe asthma.
OBJECTIVE
Psychiatric symptoms may be associated with increased asthma morbidity and mortality. However, no investigations have identified syndromal psychiatric diagnoses in asthma patients using current diagnostic criteria or examined treatment received for mental illness.


METHODS
We conducted structured clinical interviews on 32 patients with moderate to severe asthma to identify current and past psychiatric illness.


RESULTS
Twenty-five percent of subjects had current major depressive disorder, but only 25 percent of these received antidepressants. Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder (16 percent), and social (13 percent) and specific phobias (28 percent) were also common. All subjects with panic disorder were receiving appropriate therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Asthma patients with moderate to severe asthma treated at community health facilities may have high rates of often untreated mood and anxiety disorders. Interventions aimed at identifying and treating psychiatric disorders in this population are needed.
Brown
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The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75390-9070, USA. sbrow3@mednet.swmed.edu
Khan
D A
DA
Mahadi
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D013781:Texas; D014505:Urban Population