[Anxiety and illness behavior in bronchial asthma]

In 82 patients attending a one-week asthma self-management education program, asthma symptom anxiety, personality trait anxiety, and attack-related coping styles were correlated with attack frequency, medication regimen and pulmonary function parameters. In 21 patients, asthma symptoms anxiety was shown to influence illness behaviour at follow-up one year later: in patients with severe asthma, greater symptom anxiety was associated with more suitable illness behaviour. Moreover, suitable illness behaviour appears to be related to cognitive coping styles that take into account the asthmatic's feeling of dependency in attacks without denying them.