The role of panic-fear in comorbid asthma and panic disorder.
We examined mediational models of panic-fear, panic disorder (PD), and asthma outcomes among adult asthma patients. PD was assessed by the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule. Twenty-one asthma-PD patients and 27 asthma-only patients completed spirometry and questionnaires. Asthma-PD patients reported greater illness-specific and generalized panic-fear than asthma-only patients, despite no differences in asthma severity or physical symptoms during asthma attacks. Illness-specific panic-fear mediated the relationship between PD and poorer health-related quality of life, including emotional disturbance due to asthma. Illness-specific panic-fear was associated with more primary care office visits for asthma. Asthma-PD patients reported greater irritability during asthma attacks than asthma-only patients. Generalized panic-fear was directly associated with restriction of activities due to asthma and use of rescue medication for asthma. Neither measure of panic-fear was associated with asthma severity. Panic-fear experienced during asthma attacks may be an important area to target for improving health-related quality of life among asthma-PD patients.
Feldman
Jonathan M
JM
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York, NY, USA. JFeldman@aecom.yu.edu
Siddique
Mahmood I
MI
Thompson
Nigel S
NS
Lehrer
Paul M
PM
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index