There is some evidence to suggest that asthma is associated with increased psychiatric symptoms and mental disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in adult asthmatic patients and to examine its relationship to pulmonary functions. 90 adult asthmatic patients underwent psychometric evaluation using, hospital anxiety depression scale, psychiatric diagnosis was assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatry Interview Arabic version, and all patients filled an asthma questionnaire and underwent spirometry. Of 90 subjects who attended for psychiatric interview 52(57.8%) met the criteria for at least one psychiatric diagnosis, the frequency of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia was 24(26.7%) and generalized anxiety disorder was 15(16.7%). Major depressive episode and social anxiety disorder occurred in 13(14.4%) and 8(8.8%) of the sample respectively.7 (7.8%) reported dysthymia, and 4(4.4%) reported alcohol abuse, Twenty-one (23%) of asthmatic patients reported more than current psychiatric diagnosis. Moderate and sever degree of asthma were only presented in asthmatic patients with psychiatric disorders. Intermittent and mild asthma were more presented in patients without psychiatric disorders with significant statistical difference. Correlation coefficients were computed among hospital anxiety depressive scores (HAD) and asthma severity degrees, where significant positive correlation was found between these scores and asthma severity. Also, Correlation coefficients were computed among hospital anxiety depressive scores (HAD) and pulmonary measures; FEV1, FVC&FEV1/FVC, the results of the co relational analyses showed that in asthmatic patients statistical significant negative correlation was found between depressive & anxiety scores and FEV1 &the ratio FEV1FVC indicating the negative impact of psychiatric morbidity on pulmonary functions. |
