TY - JOUR
T1 - Alexithymia
T2 - a relevant psychological variable in near-fatal asthma
AU - Serrano, J.
AU - Plaza, V.
AU - Sureda, B.
AU - de Pablo, J.
AU - Picado, C.
AU - Bardagi, S.
AU - Jamela, J.
AU - Sanchis, J.
PY - 2006/8
Y1 - 2006/8
N2 - Alexithymia is a psychological trait characterised by difficulty in perceiving and expressing emotions and body sensations. Failure to perceive dyspnoea could lead alexithymic asthmatics to underestimate the severity of an asthma exacerbation, and thereby increase the risk of developing a fatal or near-fatal asthma (NFA) attack. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of alexithymia in NFA patients and to analyse their clinical characteristics.Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale in this multicentric prospective observational study. From 33 Spanish hospitals, 179 NFA patients and 40 non-NFA patients, as a control group, were enrolled.There was a higher proportion of alexithymia in the NFA group than in the non-NFA group (36 versus 13%). Patients with NFA and alexithymia were older than the rest of the NFA group, and had a lower level of education, a higher level of psychiatric morbidity, a higher proportion of severe persistent asthma and a greater number of prior very severe asthma exacerbations (49 versus 27%). Alexithymia, severe persistent asthma and a low level of education were identified as independent variables related to repeated very severe asthma exacerbations. The results show that alexithymia is more frequent in near-fatal asthma patients compared to the rest of asthmatics and is associated with recurrent very severe asthma exacerbations.
AB - Alexithymia is a psychological trait characterised by difficulty in perceiving and expressing emotions and body sensations. Failure to perceive dyspnoea could lead alexithymic asthmatics to underestimate the severity of an asthma exacerbation, and thereby increase the risk of developing a fatal or near-fatal asthma (NFA) attack. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of alexithymia in NFA patients and to analyse their clinical characteristics.Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale in this multicentric prospective observational study. From 33 Spanish hospitals, 179 NFA patients and 40 non-NFA patients, as a control group, were enrolled.There was a higher proportion of alexithymia in the NFA group than in the non-NFA group (36 versus 13%). Patients with NFA and alexithymia were older than the rest of the NFA group, and had a lower level of education, a higher level of psychiatric morbidity, a higher proportion of severe persistent asthma and a greater number of prior very severe asthma exacerbations (49 versus 27%). Alexithymia, severe persistent asthma and a low level of education were identified as independent variables related to repeated very severe asthma exacerbations. The results show that alexithymia is more frequent in near-fatal asthma patients compared to the rest of asthmatics and is associated with recurrent very severe asthma exacerbations.
KW - Affective symptoms
KW - Asthma/psychology
KW - Near-fatal asthma
KW - Perceptual distortion
KW - Status asthmaticus
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=uab_pure&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:000239525000009&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS
U2 - 10.1183/09031936.06.00008105
DO - 10.1183/09031936.06.00008105
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 16571616
SN - 0903-1936
VL - 28
SP - 296
EP - 302
JO - European Respiratory Journal
JF - European Respiratory Journal
IS - 2
ER -