title: Posttraumatic stress disorder following asthma attack (post-asthma attack PTSD) and psychiatric co-morbidity: the impact of alexithymia and coping.
abstract: This study investigated the prevalence of post-asthma attack posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the severity of psychiatric co-morbidity among a group of college students and whether alexithymia and coping strategies would relate to health outcomes. This is a cross-sectional study in which 156 college students who had previously experienced asthma attack were recruited. They completed a demographic page, Asthma Symptom Checklist, PTSD Checklist, General Health Questionnaire-28, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the COPE. They were also matched with 141 students without asthma. The results showed that 3% met the criteria for full-PTSD, 44% for partial and 53% for no-PTSD. There were no significant differences between the asthma and control groups in severity of psychiatric co-morbid symptoms. Path analyses showed that asthma severity was significantly correlated with PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity. It was also correlated with alexithymia which was in turn associated with psychiatric co-morbidity but not PTSD. Coping strategies were not correlated with health outcomes. To conclude, people can develop PTSD symptoms and degrees of psychiatric co-morbid symptoms after suffering asthma attack. The severity of these symptoms relates to people's perceptions of asthma severity and alexithymia.
authors.affiliation: Zayed University, Natural Science and Public Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. man.chung@zu.ac.ae
authors.forename: Man Cheung
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rudd
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wall
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology