Predicting the outcomes of living with asthma.

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of person and disease predictors on psychosocial and morbidity outcomes in adults with chronic asthma. Ninety-five asthmatic adults were followed for 60 days with standardized questionnaires and three interviews. Amount of distress during an asthma episode, perceived danger from asthma, and appraisal of social support were predictors of emergency room visits. Self-care, perceived life stress, nocturnal symptoms, and amount of distress during an asthma episode were predictors of depression. Financial status and the absence of nocturnal symptoms of asthma predicted life satisfaction.