Fear of anxiety symptoms in asthma, lung cancer patients and healthy subjects

Abstract

Introduction: Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a stable personality trait characterized by fear of bodily symptoms that accompany anxiety. It is considered to be important in many chronic illnesses, especially respiratory, since the fear from the symptoms acts as an „symptom amplifier“. As such, it can worsen clinical manifestations of chronic illnesses. Aim: To compare asthma, lung cancer patients and healthy subjects in their sensitivity to anxiety symptoms. Method: Study included 121 subjects (N(A)asthma=52, N (Ca)Cancer=17, N(H)Healthy=52). To measure anxiety sensitivity we used a validated questionnaire Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) consisting of 16 items evaluating fear of bodily and psychological symptoms and social threats. Patients completed ASI during outpatient check-ups. Healthy subjects were recruited through on-line survey. Group differences were analysed using ANOVA. Results: Results show significant difference between groups (F=7.513, p 0.05). Conclusions: Despite much more difficult course of lung cancer illness in comparison to asthma, fear of bodily symptoms and sensations seem to be similar in both illnesses. This finding poses a question of the importance of diseases onset and duration (adjustment period), person9s coping mechanisms and personality traits as manageable contributing factors in respiratory disease management.