Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T18:00:16.541Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Case Series Evaluation of a Pilot Group Cognitive Behavioural Treatment for Children With Asthma and Anxiety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2017

Gemma Sicouri
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Louise Sharpe
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Jennifer L. Hudson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Joanne Dudeney
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Adam Jaffe
Affiliation:
Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Caroline Hunt*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Professor Caroline Hunt, School of Psychology, M02F Mallet Street Campus, The University of Sydney NSW 2006, Australia. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Anxiety disorders occur at an increased rate in children with asthma; however, there is only a small evidence base to support specific psychological treatments for these children. The current study evaluated the efficacy of a pilot cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT) group intervention for children with asthma and a comorbid anxiety disorder in a case series design. Five children (aged 8–11 years old) with asthma and a comorbid anxiety disorder and their mothers took part in eight 1-hour group treatment sessions. Primary outcomes measures were anxiety diagnosis and asthma-related quality of life. Secondary outcome measures were asthma symptom control and parent quality of life associated with caring for a child with asthma. Three of the participants no longer met diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder following treatment and three different participants reported a reliable improvement in asthma-related quality of life. Two participants reported a reliable improvement in asthma symptom control. Three mothers reported an improvement in caregiver quality of life. The findings provide preliminary proof of concept evidence for the efficacy of a CBT intervention for children with asthma and clinical anxiety.

Type
Standard Papers
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bush, T., Richardson, L., Katon, W., Russo, J., Lozano, P., McCauley, E., & Oliver, M. (2007). Anxiety and depressive disorders are associated with smoking in adolescents with asthma. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 425432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dudeney, J., Sharpe, L., Jaffe, A., Jones, E.B., & Hunt, C.J. (2017). Anxiety in youth with asthma: A meta-analysis. In press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Easter, G., Sharpe, L., & Hunt, C.J. (2015). Systematic review and meta-analysis of anxious and depressive symptoms in caregivers of children with asthma. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 40, 623632. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsv012 Google Scholar
Ewing, D.L., Monsen, J.J., Thompson, E.J., Cartwright-Hatton, S., & Field, A. (2015). A meta-analysis of transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of child and young person anxiety disorders. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 43, 562577. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465813001094 Google Scholar
Feldman, J.M., Matte, L., Interian, A., Lehrer, P.M., Lu, S.-E., Scheckner, B., . . . Shim, C. (2016). Psychological treatment of comorbid asthma and panic disorder in Latino adults: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 87, 142154. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.09.007 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodwin, R.D., Bandiera, F.C., Steinberg, D., Ortega, A.N., & Feldman, J.M. (2012). Asthma and mental health among youth: etiology, current knowledge and future directions. Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine, 6, 397406. doi:https://doi.org/10.1586/ers.12.34 Google Scholar
Grover, N., Kumaraiah, V., Prasadrao, P.S., & D'Souza, G. (2002). Cognitive behavioural intervention in bronchial asthma. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 50, 896900.Google Scholar
Hageman, W.J., & Arrindell, W.A. (1999). Establishing clinically significant change: Increment of precision and the distinction between individual and group level of analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 11691193. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967%2899%2900032-7 Google Scholar
Hullmann, S.E., Wolfe-Christensen, C., Ryan, J.L., Fedele, D.A., Rambo, P.L., Chaney, J.M., & Mullins, L.L. (2010). Parental overprotection, perceived child vulnerability, and parenting stress: A cross-illness comparison. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 17, 357365. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-010-9213-4 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobson, N.S., & Truax, P. (1991). Clinical significance: A statistical approach to defining meaningful change in psychotherapy research. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 1219. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.59.1.12 Google Scholar
James, A.C., James, G., Cowdrey, F.A., Soler, A., & Choke, A. (2015). Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews, 2015 (2), CD004690. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004690.pub4 Google ScholarPubMed
Juniper, E., Guyatt, G., Feeny, D., Ferrie, P., Griffith, L., & Townsend, M. (1996a). Measuring quality of life in children with asthma. Quality of Life Research, 5, 3546. doi:10.1007/BF00435967 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Juniper, E., Guyatt, G., Feeny, D., Ferrie, P., Griffith, L., & Townsend, M. (1996b). Measuring quality of life in the parents of children with asthma. Quality of Life Research, 5, 2734. doi:10.1007/BF00435966 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaugars, A.S., Klinnert, M.D., & Bender, B.G. (2004). Family influences on pediatric asthma. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 29, 475491. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsh051 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lehrer, P., Feldman, J., Giardino, N., Song, H.-S., & Schmaling, K. (2002). Psychological aspects of asthma. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 691711. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.70.3.691 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marriage, D., & Henderson, J. (2012). Cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety in children with asthma. Nursing Children and Young People, 24, 3034.Google Scholar
McCauley, E., Katon, W., Russo, J., Richardson, L., & Lozano, P. (2007). Impact of anxiety and depression on functional impairment in adolescents with asthma. General Hospital Psychiatry, 29, 214222. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2007.02.003 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Papneja, T., & Manassis, K. (2006). Characterization and treatment response of anxious children with asthma. Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie, 51, 393396.Google Scholar
Park, S.J., Sawyer, S.M., & Glaun, D.E. (1996). Childhood asthma complicated by anxiety: An application of cognitive behavioural therapy. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 32, 183187.Google Scholar
Put, C., van den Bergh, O., Lemaigre, V., Demedts, M., & Verleden, G. (2003). Evaluation of an individualised asthma programme directed at behavioural change. European Respiratory Journal, 21, 109115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richardson, L. P., Lozano, P., Russo, J., McCauley, E., Bush, T., & Katon, W. (2006). Asthma symptom burden: relationship to asthma severity and anxiety and depression symptoms. Pediatrics, 118 (3), 10421051.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ross, C.J.M., Davis, T.M.A., & Macdonald, G.F. (2005). Cognitive-behavioral treatment combined with asthma education for adults with asthma and coexisting panic disorder. Clinical Nursing Research, 14, 131157. doi:doi:10.1177/1054773804273863 Google Scholar
Sicouri, G., Sharpe, L., Hudson, J.L., Dudeney, J., Jaffe, A., Selvadurai, H., & Hunt, C. (2017a). Parent-child interactions in children with asthma and anxiety. Manuscript submitted for publication.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sicouri, G., Sharpe, L., Hudson, J.L., Dudeney, J., Jaffe, A., Selvadurai, H., & Hunt, C. (2017b). Threat interpretation and parental influences for children with asthma and anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 89, 1423. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.11.004 Google Scholar
Silverman, & Albano, A. (1996). The Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children (ADIS C/P). San Antonio, CA: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Silverman, W.K., Saavedra, L.M., & Pina, A.A. (2001). Test-retest reliability of anxiety symptoms and diagnoses with anxiety disorders interview schedule for DSM-IV: Child and parent versions. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 40 (8), 937944. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200108000-00016 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skinner, E.A., Diette, G.B., Algatt-Bergstrom, P.J., Nguyen, T.T., Clark, R.D., Markson, L.E., & Wu, A.W. (2004). The Asthma Therapy Assessment Questionnaire (ATAQ) for children and adolescents. Disease Management, 7, 305313.Google Scholar
ten Brinke, A., Ouwerkerk, M., Bel, E., & Spinhoven, P. (2001). Similar psychological characteristics in mild and severe asthma. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 50, 710. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999%2800%2900203-8 Google Scholar
Tibosch, M.M., Verhaak, C.M., & Merkus, P.J. (2011). Psychological characteristics associated with the onset and course of asthma in children and adolescents: A systematic review of longitudinal effects. Patient Education and Counseling, 82, 1119. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2010.03.011 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yorke, J., Fleming, S., & Shuldham, C. (2005). Psychological interventions for children with asthma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (4), CD003272.Google Scholar