Kids With Asthma Suffer from Anxiety

Young kids with severe or persistent asthma are more prone to develop anxiety and depression, says an Australian study.

The study led by Renee Goodwin from Columbia University, USA, and Monique Robinson, a psychologist at University of Western Australia (UWA), wanted to find the link between asthma in early childhood and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

They found that mental health problems increased with severity or with persistence of asthma.

The research made use of Australian data from the Raine Study to determine whether children who had asthma at age five were prone to mental health problems till age 17 years. It was revealed that children who developed asthma while very young developed mental health issues such as anxiety, conduct problems and affective problems.

When children were categorized into groups depending on the severity of asthma it was found that those children with mild asthma had a mental state that was similar to those who had no asthma, while children with severe or persistent asthma were at increased risk of developing mental conditions in the future.  

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder that is characterized by difficulty in breathing and wheezing. It affects the daily life of the affected individuals but can be managed through proper treatment.

The study report has been published in the journal Psychological Medicine.

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Reference: R. D. Goodwin, et al; Severity and persistence of asthma and mental health: a birth cohort study. Psychological Medicine 2012.

Source-Medindia