Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2021 Jan-Dec:18:14799731211029658.
doi: 10.1177/14799731211029658.

Asthma patients experience increased symptoms of anxiety, depression and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic

Geertje M de Boer  1   2 , Laura Houweling  1 , Rudi W Hendriks  2 , Jan H Vercoulen  3 , Gerdien A Tramper-Stranders  4 , Gert-Jan Braunstahl  1   2
Affiliations
Observational Study

Asthma patients experience increased symptoms of anxiety, depression and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic

Geertje M de Boer et al. Chron Respir Dis. 2021 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Population studies showed a decrease in psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asthma is associated with a negative effect on anxiety and depression, which might worsen during the COVID-19 lockdown. The aim of the study was to compare fear, anxiety and depression between asthma patients and patients wit hout asthma pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic.This study compares fear, anxiety and depression in asthma patients and controls between pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 lockdown with a cross-sectional online survey. Participants were invited to fill out several questionnaires pertaining to fear, anxiety, depression, asthma control and quality of life.Asthma patients (N = 37) displayed, during the course of the pandemic, a clinically relevant increase in anxiety (3.32 ± 2.95 vs. 6.68 ± 3.78; p < 0.001) and depression (1.30 ± 1.15 vs. 3.65 ± 3.31; p < 0.001), according to the hospital anxiety and depression levels (HADS) compared to pre-COVID-19 assessment. This was not seen in controls. Also, asthma patients displayed more anxiety about acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls ((5.11 ± 1.99 vs. 3.50 ± 2.79), p = 0.006).Patients with asthma experienced an increase in anxiety and depression levels and were more afraid of acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls. Also, patients with asthma were more likely to avoid healthcare facilities due to fear of acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls. Therefore, we advise health care workers to address these possible negative effects on mental health by phone or e-consults.

Keywords: Anxiety; Sars-CoV-2; asthma; depression; e-Health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Fear of acquiring COVID-19 disease on a 0–10 visual analog scale.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Papi A, Brightling C, Pedersen SE, et al. Asthma. Lancet 2018; 391(10122): 783–800. - PubMed
    1. Bateman ED, Hurd SS, Barnes PJ, et al. Global strategy for asthma management and prevention: GINA executive summary. Eur Respir J 2008; 31: 143–178. Eur Respir J 2018;51(2). - PubMed
    1. RIVM. Ontwikkeling COVID-19 in grafieken: RIVM. https://www.rivm.nl/coronavirus-covid-19/grafieken (2020, accessed 10 May 2021).
    1. Garg S, Kim L, Whitaker M, et al. Hospitalization rates and characteristics of patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019—COVID-NET, 14 States, March 1-30, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020; 69(15): 458–464. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hawryluck L, Gold WL, Robinson S, et al. SARS control and psychological effects of quarantine, Toronto, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10(7): 1206–1212. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms