기관지천식의 정신신체의학적 측면

Abstract

The author reviewed psychosomatic aspects of bronchial asthma including psychological aspect of bronchial asthma, patients' reactions to illness, reactions of therapists and families, effect of bronchial asthma on mental function, psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. The therapists' understanding of these aspects is likely to be helpful in their predicting and understanding the type of adaptation their asthmatic patients are making to their illness. Thus, the therapists need to recognize the asthmatics' psychological needs. They also should understand the vicious cycle of anxiety-hyperventilation-panic-fear-avoidance in patients with bronchial asthma and should try to break this cycle. To make it possible, the patients' panic-fear level should be assessed and sometimes it will require psychiatrists' advice. On the other hand, the asthmatics should be trained to be shaped to relate subjective feeling of pulmonary function with objective pulmonary measures, which will enable these patients to perceive their early symptoms and to cope with asthma attack effectively. The therapists need to pay attention to their emotion during evaluation and treatment of patients with bronchial asthma, because they are less likely to perceive stress and express their emotion.