title: COPD and anxiety: its impact on patients' lives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anxiety is a common comorbidity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but its identification and management are often insufficient.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the experience of living with and managing comorbid anxiety and COPD from a patient's perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study followed a qualitative approach. In-depth interviews were carried out with 14 patients who had COPD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants believed anxiety had a significant impact on their quality of life. It made them feel isolated and caused them to avoid social occasions and daily activities. Identifying anxiety was a challenge because of the overlap in the symptoms of anxiety and those of COPD, and the side-effects of medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses can play a vital role in screening and managing anxiety, and educating people in strategies to prevent episodes of panic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Professions, Manchester Metropolitan University.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Willgoss
authors.forename: Abebaw
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yohannes
authors.forename: Juliet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldbart
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fatoye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life