Gender and presence of profound psychological traumas versus the presence and intensity of panic disorder in difficult and severe asthma and aspirin- -induced asthma of different severity

Summary Background. The author examined psychiatrically a group of 106 patients with difficult asthma and 100 patients with aspirin-induced asthma of different severity. The special interest of the study was the careful analysis of the time, context and content of different psychological traumas that the asthmatic patients from both groups had throughout their lives. Methods. 106 consecutive adults with confirmed, physician-diagnosed difficult asthma and 100 patients with aspirin-induced asthma underwent psychiatric interview and assessment using M.I.n.I 5.0 and Pan ic And Agoraphobia Scale (PAS). Psychiatric assessment was performed by experienced liaison psychiatrist according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV diagnosis. Difficult and aspirin-induced asthma presence was assessed by pulmonologist according to nHLBI/nAEPP 2007. In difficult asthma group there were 78 women (74%) and 28 men (26%). The average age was 51.3 (SD=14.5) for women and 47.5 (SD=12.7) for men. In aspirin-induced asthma group there were 66 women (66%) and 34 men (34%). The average age was 52.7 (SD=12.3) for women and 48.8 (SD=13.0) for men. results . In both groups of asthmatic patients women were majority (74% with difficult asthma and 66% with aspirin-induced asthma) with higher level of panic disorder symptoms than men. It may be due to specific trauma of suffering and/or death of emotionally close person, which occurred in adulthood. This type of trauma may have an impact on the aetiology of panic disorder. Women are more exposed to this sort of trauma than men due to their social role. Conclusions . It is possible, that psychological traumas affect the development, course and severity of panic disorder in asthmatic patients. They may play a special role in development of difficult asthma. asthma / panic disorder / gender / trauma