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Psychotherapeutic interventions for adults with asthma
S L Fleming1, C Pagliari, R Churchill
1Department of Nursing and Quality, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, Sydney Street, London, UK, SW3 6NP.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|February 20, 2004
Summary
Psychological interventions show mixed results for adult asthma symptom management. More high-quality research is needed to confirm their effectiveness in treating asthma.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Asthma affects many individuals, with psychological factors potentially triggering symptoms.
- Patient adherence to medical therapy can also be influenced by psychological aspects.
- Psychological interventions aim to alleviate asthma symptoms and enhance disease management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of psychological interventions in adults diagnosed with asthma.
Main Methods:
- Searched Cochrane Airways Group specialized register and PsycINFO databases until September 2003.
- Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing psychological interventions with control groups in adult asthma patients.
- Two reviewers assessed study relevance, retrieved eligible studies, and extracted data.
Main Results:
- Twelve studies were included, but most had poor quality and small sample sizes.
- Meta-analysis was not feasible due to diverse interventions and outcome measures.
- Conflicting findings were observed, potentially due to varied interventions and trial design flaws.
Conclusions:
- An adequate evidence base is lacking to firmly establish the role of psychological interventions in adult asthma care.
- Large-scale, well-designed, and reported RCTs are necessary to determine the true effects of these techniques.