Mood and pulmonary function in adult asthmatics: a pilot self-monitoring study

The relationship between mood and fluctuations in peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) was studied in seven mildly asthmatic adult men and seven non-asthmatic controls. Participants completed visual analogue mood scales and measured PEF four times per day for 24 days, and the Profile of Mood States was also filled in at the end of each day. Significant correlations between mood and PEF were found in six of the asthmatics. No specific asthma-related profile was identified, since each person showed idiosyncratic associations between mood and pulmonary function. The non-asthmatics did not show consistent correlations above a level expected by chance. Possible explanations of these results and their relevance to the management of asthma are discussed.