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Covert fears and anxiety in asthma and congenital heart disease

S Gupta1, I Mitchell, R M Giuffre

  • 1Department of Psychology, Alberta Children's Hospital, The University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Child: Care, Health and Development
|July 5, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Children with asthma and congenital heart disease experience heightened anxiety and medical fears compared to healthy peers. Maternal anxiety and disease severity significantly impact children's well-being, underscoring the need for targeted support.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Childhood Chronic Illness
  • Psychosomatic Medicine

Background:

  • Children with chronic conditions like asthma and congenital heart disease (CHD) may face unique psychological challenges.
  • Assessing anxiety, fears, and behavioral issues is crucial for comprehensive care in pediatric chronic illnesses.
  • Understanding the influence of maternal anxiety and disease characteristics is vital for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare anxiety, fears, and behavioral problems in children with asthma and CHD against a normative population.
  • To investigate the impact of maternal anxiety, time since diagnosis, and disease severity on these psychological outcomes.
  • To identify specific areas of concern for children with these chronic conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Children with asthma (n=40) and CHD (n=39) completed the Fear Survey Scale (FSSC-R) and Child Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS).
  • Mothers completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and State Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-S and STAI-T).
  • Data were compared to normative samples, and correlations between maternal and child scores, and disease severity were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Children with asthma and CHD exhibited higher medical fears and physiological anxiety than normative groups.
  • Increased maternal anxiety correlated with greater child anxiety, medical fears, and behavioral problems in both groups.
  • Greater disease severity was linked to increased physiological anxiety and fears; recent diagnosis negatively impacted social interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Physiological anxiety, medical fears, and maternal anxiety are significant concerns for children with asthma and CHD, even without overt psychosocial issues.
  • Recent diagnosis of a chronic illness may present specific challenges impacting children's social interactions.
  • Healthcare providers should address these psychological aspects proactively in managing pediatric asthma and cardiac conditions.
Abstract

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