Establishing a role for psychology in respiratory medicine.

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the lung airways characterized by shortness of breath and wheezing. This disease affects about 12 million Americans, including 4 million children. Annually, asthma accounts for approximately 15 million physician visits, 479,000 hospitalizations, 1.2 million emergency room visits, and 10 million missed school days (S. T. Weiss et al., 1992). According to the Centers for Disease Control (1995), the morbidity and mortality associated with asthma have been on the rise in recent years. The number of asthma deaths has progressively increased since 1982 from 3,000 to 5,000 per year, with mortality significantly higher in African Americans.The incidence of psychological difficulty is increased in asthmatic children. However, the rate of psychological disorder is not increased for all groups of asthmatic children (Kashani, Konig, Shepperd, Wilfley, 6r