No abstract

Asthma, a disease of the respiratory system, is the most common chronic medical condition among children. School-aged children with asthma evidence increased absenteeism, decreased school performance, restriction of various activities, poor peer relationships, and emotional and behavioral difficulties. Asthma can be triggered and exacerbated by emotions and stress, and therefore, it has been treated with psychological interventions. Relaxation and guided imagery (RGI), an intervention based on the theoretical position that the mind and body interact in determining health, has been shown to be effective in improving mental and physical health outcomes with a myriad of medical conditions, yet it has not been adequately studied with childhood asthma. This investigation analyzed the effect of RGI on lung function [forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) and forced expiratory flow 25-75 (FEF 25-75 )] and anxiety by employing a multiple baseline design across four middle school students with asthma. With the introduction of the intervention, it was found that FEV 1 improved and anxiety decreased in all students. FEF 25-75 improved in three of the four participants. The effect sizes for the four participants ranged from Ϫ0.98 to Ϫ1.88 for FEV 1 , 0.20 to Ϫ1.93 for FEF , and 2.19 to 4.06 for anxiety.

This investigation employed a multiple baseline design across five participants to examine written emotional expression as an intervention to improve lung function in high school-aged students, college students, and adults with asthma. The predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 measure of large airway functioning) and forced expiratory flow (FEF 25-75 measure of small airway functioning) were evaluated using spirometry. In addition, anxiety was measured using state and trait anxiety self-report scales. Generally, results were effective. Individuals with asthma are at higher risk for increased hospitalization and death. For the schoolaged population, asthma is associated with increased absenteeism, restriction of various class activities such as physical education, and poor relationships with peers. Therefore, adults and children with asthma are in need of services and school psychologists appear uniquely qualified to intervene. More recently, the role of the school psychologist is diversifying with corresponding training (e.g., wellness, consultation, prevention, assessment and treatment of health issues) in the areas of health-related disorders that involve a psychological component.

No abstract

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, is caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental variables. The intent of this article is to propose a theory that provides an explanation for the reduction of emotionally triggered asthma through treatments derived from positive psychology. The basic tenet of the theory is that physical health issues, such as asthma, can be promoted through systematic interventions that are designed to enhance the individual's sense of independence, intimacies or friendships, and/or feelings of competence. This theoretical approach is based largely on Bertrand Russell's definition of happiness and is consistent with positive psychology in that it focuses on variables that promote subjective well-being, or a satisfying daily life.