Anxiety in children with asthma

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between levels of state and trait anxiety in children with asthma and increased asthma morbidity immediately following an acute asthmatic attack. A total of 155 children, aged 7-12 years, diagnosed with asthma, were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) while the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (STAI) was administered to the mother. The mother's state and trait anxiety scores were consistently higher than the child's scores, and there was no significant correlation between child and mother anxiety levels. Almost two-thirds of children reported feeling "panic" at the beginning of the index asthma attack, which was significantly associated with child state anxiety. Health professionals must be sensitive to child as well as maternal anxiety in families of children with asthma.