Abstract
Although psychological characteristics in patients with bronchial asthma have been well studied, the effect of atopic diathesis on psychological aspects in asthmatic patients remains to be investigated. Therefore, we compared psychological characteristics between atopic and non-atopic asthmatics. The study group consisted of 100 asthmatic patients, 30 males and 70 females, in psychosomatic department of Kansai Medical University. In terms of pathophysiology of the disease, 62 subjects were atopic and 38 were non-atopic. Their mean ages at the onset of the disease and at the time of this study were 25.9±17.7 years and 51.9±12.5 years in the atopic subjects (Group A) and 38.6±15.2 years and 59.4±10.4 years in the non-atopic subjects (Group N). As psychometrical instruments, Maudsley personality inventory (MPI), Todai egogram(TEG), Comprehensive asthma inventory (CAI), and Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20) were employed. Average scores on the extroversion scale of the MPI were higher in the atopic group than in the non atopic group and higher in females than in males. Average scores on the neurosis scale of the MPI were higher in the non-atopic group. But no statistically significant difference was found as a whole between the atopic and non-atopic groups. Among five scales of the TEG, NP was the most highly scored in both groups. The atopic subjects showed higher average scores on FC than AC, and the non-atopic subjects showed higher scores on AC than FC. Average CAI scores were slightly higher in the non-atopic group than in the atopic group and significantly higher in females than in males. Average scores on the TAS-20 were relatively but not significantly higher in the non-atopic patients than the atopic and in females than males. Those who had scores over 61 (definitely alexithymic) were about 18% in both atopic and non-atopic groups. The present study revealed that non-atopic asthmatic patients are significantly more emotionally suppressive and socially over-adaptive than atopic patients. They also tend to be introvert, neurotic, and alexithymic. These features are remarkable in female subjects. It is suggested that subjects with non-atopic asthma have more psychological problems as precipitating factors of the disease compared with atopic asthma.
