Adolescents’ Psychosocial Experiences Living with Asthma: A Focus Group Study

Abstract

Introduction Asthma is influenced by and influences psychosocial experiences in adolescents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore psychosocial experiences and coping strategies of a sample of adolescents with asthma based on their own accounts. Methods Six focus group interviews were conducted in Central Virginia with 19 adolescents with asthma ages 12 to 18 years. Results Three general descriptions of experiences with asthma were found in the data: “Doing less with more effort,” “Missing out,” and “Not all bad.” Adolescents’ negative emotions were compounded by perceptions of others’ responses. Three coping strategies, “Toughening,” “Guardedness,” and “Modifying” also were identified. Discussion Findings enhance understanding of particular patterns of psychosocial experiences in adolescents and lay a foundation for developmentally appropriate asthma interventions.