The battery of asthma illness behavior, II: independence from airways hyperreactivity

Bronchial asthma is an illness particularly susceptible to psychological and behavioral exacerbation and perpetuation. The Battery of Asthma Illness Behavior has demonstrated a remarkable ability to identify such psychomaintenance potentials in chronic asthmatic patients. The present study advances previous research by showing that BAIB scores are independent of degree of airways hyperreactivity. This finding strengthens the assertion that the BAIB assesses psychomaintenance potentials independent from the objective medical parameters of the illness.