title: Analysis of the relation between level of asthma control and depression and anxiety.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Frequent co-existence of bronchial asthma and depression or anxiety is an unquestioned phenomenon. In contrast, little is known about the relationship between the degree of asthma control and the prevalence of depression and anxiety. The aim of this study was to determine the potential relationship between the degree of asthma control and the prevalence of depression and anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included a group of 128 randomly selected asthmatic individuals with various degree of asthma control. The study was based on a questionnaire survey, using the following tools: the Asthma Control Test, Beck Depression Inventory, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) - X-1 and X-2 questionnaires. All the questionnaires were completed during a single follow-up visit at the clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The occurrence of depression and its severity significantly correlated with the degree of asthma control. Individuals with depression were characterized by a significantly lower degree of asthma control compared to depression-free individuals (p<0.001). The degree of asthma control decreased significantly with increasing severity of depression (R=-0.367; p<0.001). No significant correlation was observed between the degree of asthma control and the levels of trait anxiety (R=-0.095; p=0.295) and state anxiety (R=-0.093; p=0.308).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of depression and its severity significantly correlate with the degree of asthma control. Large, standardized multicenter studies of the relationship between the degree of asthma control and the prevalence of depression and other psychopathological symptoms are needed. Furthermore, it seems reasonable to introduce the screening of asthmatics for mental disorders.
authors.affiliation: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland. hanna.trzcinska@cm.umk.pl
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trzcińska
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Przybylski
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kozłowski
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Derdowski
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires