Recent Trends in Asthma Research. In: Goreczny AJ, editor. Handbook of Health and Rehabilitation Psychology. Boston: Springer US; 1995. pp. 31-53. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4899-1028-8_2]

Brief report: illness uncertainty and dispositional self-focus in adolescents and young adults with childhood-onset asthma

OBJECTIVE

To investigate differences in self-focused attention between college students with childhood-onset asthma and a group of healthy controls and to determine whether self-focused attention mediates the relationship between illness uncertainty and psychological distress among individuals with asthma.

METHODS

Forty-two adolescent and young adult participants with childhood-onset asthma and 40 age- and gender-matched healthy participants completed measures of self-focused attention, perceived illness uncertainty, psychological distress, and health status.

RESULTS

Adolescents and young adults with childhood-onset asthma evidenced an increased tendency to engage in private self-focus compared to age- and gender-matched peers without a chronic illness history. Self-focused attention also mediated the relationship between perceived illness uncertainty and psychological distress among those with asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

The need for self-monitoring in asthma management may result in an increased propensity to self-focus, which may result in heightened levels of psychological distress.