Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Perceived Psychological Asthma Triggers in relation to Asthma Outcomes in Latino Adults with Anxiety

Abstract

Objective: Research indicates that asthma patients are more likely to exhibit psychological symptoms than those without asthma. However, less is known about the relationship between asthma and psychological asthma triggers. The current study examined the role of depressive symptoms and anxiety sensitivity, perceived psychological asthma triggers, and asthma outcomes in adult Latino asthma patients. Methods: Participants included 88 Latino adult asthma patients. Perceived asthma triggers were examined using the Asthma Trigger Inventory (ATI)., this study focused on the Psychological Triggers subscale. Asthma-related quality of life was measured using the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (mAQLQ). Asthma control was measured using the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) was used to measure depressive symptoms based on the DSM-IV. The physical concerns subscale of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) was used to assess beliefs about the consequences of experiencing the fear of arousal related to physical sensations. Results: Results of the mediation analysis, using the bootstrapping method, confirmed the mediating role of perceived psychological asthma triggers in the association between depressive symptoms and asthma control (B = 0.01, SE = .01, CI = 0.0013 to 0.0200). Further mediation analyses did not confirm the mediating role of perceived psychological asthma triggers in the association between depressive symptoms and asthma-related quality of life (B = -0.01, SE = 0.00, CI = -0.0196 to 0.0001), anxiety sensitivity-related physical concerns and asthma-related quality of life (B = -0.01, SE = 0.01, CI = -0.0340 to 0.0000), or anxiety sensitivity-related physical concerns and asthma control (B = 0.01, SE = 0.01, CI = -0.0004 to 0.0288). Conclusion: Latino asthma patients who experience depressive symptoms and anxiety sensitivity-related physical concerns endorse greater emotionally triggered asthma. Latino asthma patients who report a higher frequency of perceived psychological asthma triggers endorse worse asthma-related quality of life and asthma control. Further, perceived psychological asthma triggers significantly mediated the relationship between depressive symptoms and asthma control in this population. These findings indicate the importance of further examination of the emotional triggering of asthma and the mechanisms by which perceived psychological asthma triggers may influence asthma disease and morbidity.