Abstract
Background: Compliance is one of the major factors of achieving asthma control. Emotional and psychological peculiarities of compliance in patients with bronchial asthma (BA) have not been studied enough.
Aim: To study clinical-functional and psycho-emotional peculiarities of patients with BA depending on compliance.
Methods: 91 patients with mild to moderate BA at the age of 36±1.1 years were examined. Women comprised 65%. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Self-estimation scale developed by Spilberger-Hanin, and TAS for alexitimia were used.
Results: The patients were divided into groups considering compliance: the 1st group consisted of patients with positive compliance (PC), they followed all doctor's recommendations during the year; the 2nd group included the patients with negative compliance (NC), they either absolutely or partially did not follow the recommendations. The patients with NC had a more intense degree of BA severity (69%) and were of an older age (p<0,002). Higher values were revealed in the 2nd group by TAS, scales of depression, personal and reactive anxiety. The average profile of a personality by MMPI scales in BA patients with NC was higher than the standard one. A high risk of psychopathologic reactions was revealed in the patients of this group (impulsiveness, nonconformity, nonstereotipeness). The patients of this group had inner tension, nervousness, aloofness, which can intensify psychosomatic disorders.
Conclusion: For BA patients with NC it is necessary to create a psychotherapeutic environment in the hospital as well as an individual approach to recommendations and their explanation.
- © 2011 ERS