Psychological factors in childhood asthma.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate psychological aspects of childhood asthma and the connections between the illness and behavioral disturbances in asthmatic children. STUDY DESIGN: We selected a group of 47 asthmatic children and a control group of 47 healthy children. The only criterion for inclusion was that the children be between 4 and 10 years of age; criteria for exclusion were neurological pathologies, cognitive retardation, and serious or chronic systemic disease. The collaboration of a psychologist and a comparative examination of questionnaires used in medical literature helped us prepare a calibrated questionnaire for our study. RESULTS: In our study, the asthmatic children show significantly more behavioral and psychological disturbances than the children in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Within the group of asthmatic children the boys and the children whose illness has lasted less than 4 years, are at greater risk of such disturbances; stressful situations connected to the birth or previous pregnancies can be seen more often in the group of asthmatic children than in the control group; before the onset of the illness the asthmatic children had significant sleep disturbances.