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Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between a measure of positivity in illness, the Silver Lining Questionnaire (SLQ), and measures of personality and spirituality/religious beliefs as a way of determining whether positivity in illness is a delusion or existential growth. Method: This is a cross-sectional study comparing response to the SLQ, to the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R), breathlessness, illness type, and spiritual and religious beliefs in a final total sample of 194 respiratory outpatients. Results: The SLQ was associated positively with extraversion (r = .16, p < .05), unrelated to neuroticism (r = .11, n.s.) and repression (r = .10, n.s.) and was positively associated with spiritual and religious beliefs, F(2, 187) = 7.12, p < 001, as predicted by the existential growth but not the delusion interpretation. There was no relationship between positivity and age, r(194)= .09, n.s., or between positivity and gender t(192) = -1.27, n.s., and nor were there relationships with type of illness, F(4, 188) = 2.17, n.s., or breathlessness, F(5, 173) = 0.42, n.s. Conclusions: The results suggest that positivity in illness is associated with existential growth, though the cross-sectional nature of the study precludes a conclusion of causal direction. The non-significant correlation between the SLQ and neuroticism is in the opposite direction predicted by the delusion explanation, but the non-significant relationship between the SLQ and repression is in the predicted direction. We cannot rule out the possibility that some positivity is delusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the use of a two-phase network theory of atopy and asthma causation as a solution to impact of genes, hygiene and air quality in Great Britain. Background to network and control system theories; Network theory of asthma; Therapeutic implications for asthma.

The author reflects on issues regarding the of symptoms of allergic rhinitis as having correlation with psychological variables in reference to the paper by Y. Graif et al. He points out that the authors failed to determine the correlation between skin prick tests in aeroallergens and symptoms severity. The author also cites that a part of the pathophysiology of rhinitis is measured by the skin prick test that does not predict symptoms of rhinitis but psychological factors.

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of homoeopathic immunotherapy on lung function and respiratory symptoms in asthmatic people allergic to house dust mite. Design: Double blind randomised controlled trial. Setting: 38 general practices in Hampshire and Dorset. Participants: 242 people with asthma and positive results to skin prick test for house dust mite; 202 completed clinic based assessments, and 186 completed diary based assessments. Intervention: After a four week baseline assessment, participants were randomised to receive oral homoeopathic immunotherapy or placebo and then assessed over 16 weeks with three clinic visits and diary assessments every other week. Outcome measure: Clinic based assessments: forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV&sub1;), quality of life, and mood. Diary based assessments: morning and evening peak expiratory flow, visual analogue scale of severity of asthma, quality of life, and daily mood. Results: There was no difference in most outcomes between placebo and homoeopathic immunotherapy. There was a different pattern of change over the trial for three of the diary assessments: morning peak expiratory flow (P=0.025), visual analogue scale (P=0.017), and mood (P=0.035). At week three there was significant deterioration for visual analogue scale (P=0.047) and mood (P=0.013) in the homoeopathic immunotherapy group compared with the placebo group. Any improvement in participants' asthma was independent of belief in complementary medicine. Conclusion: Homoeopathic immunotherapy is not effective in the treatment of patients with asthma. The different patterns of change between homoeopathic immunotherapy and placebo over the course of the study are unexplained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]