Anxiety, Depression, and Asthma Control: Changes After Standardized Treatment

Background It has been documented that anxiety and depression are prevalent in patients with asthma and are associated with greater frequency of exacerbations, increased use of health care resources, and poor asthma control. Objective To examine the association of asthma diagnosis with symptoms of depression/anxiety and asthma control not only at baseline but also over a 6-month period of specialist supervision. Methods We enrolled 3182 patients with moderate to severe asthma. All were evaluated with spirometry, the Asthma Control Test, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline and at 6 months. Treatments were decided by specialists according to published guidelines. Results At baseline, 24.2% and 12% of the patients were diagnosed with anxiety and depression, respectively, according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. After 6 months, anxiety and depression improved, affecting 15.3% and 8.1% of patients, respectively ( P 1 and asthma control also improved (FEV 1 from 81.6% ± 20.9% to 86% ± 20.8%; Asthma Control Test score from 15.8 ± 4.7 to 19.4 ± 4.4; both P 1 (odds ratio, 0.20, 0.34, 0.62, respectively; P Conclusion Under standardized asthma care and after a specific visit with the specialist, patients present significant improvement in these psychological disorders and exhibit better asthma control and functional parameters.