Asthma control and psychological status in university students

Introduction: Adolescents with asthma are at two-fold higher risk of psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. Limited data are available investigating asthma control, depression and anxiety in young adults with asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate relationship between asthma control, lung function, depression and anxiety in students with asthma. Methods: Study was conducted at the Students Health Care Institute Belgrade, Serbia and included 210 students with asthma, stratified in two groups by Asthma Control Test (ACT) score: at-least-well-controlled (ALWC) and not-well-controlled (NWC) asthma. All subjects underwent spirometry and psychometric testing by assessing Beck’s Depression Index (BDI) and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results: No differences were found in sociodemographic variables between studied groups. Significantly lower lung function parameters (FEV1 (%), MEF50 (%) and MEF25 (%)) were detected in NWC vs. ALWC group (p Conclusion: Common psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression could negatively affect asthma control. Those conditions should be sought in students with poorly controlled asthma, and be included into overall asthma management.