[Evaluation of selected personality features in patients with various clinical forms of bronchial asthma]

Abstract

Psychological factors are of importance in the onset and clinical course of the bronchial asthma. Marked emotional disorders are seen in patients with atypical asthma. This study aimed at evaluating selected personality features in patients with various clinical forms of the bronchial asthma. Statistical analysis included 91 asthmatic patients and 30 healthy individuals being a control group. Selected personality features were evaluated with three psychological tests: Eysenck Personality Inventory, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and Cattel's Self cognition Chart. The obtained results have shown that the index of psychopathologies is higher in patients with non-atopic bronchial asthma than in patients with atopic asthma. Therefore, psychotherapy of asthmatic patients, especially with non-atopic form of the disease, should emphasize disturbances of experienced feelings in such patients.