Enhancing subjective well‐being in individuals with asthma

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.

Quality of life and activity of children suffering from bronchial asthma

“…Thus, it seems to be important to encourage children suffering from asthma to intensify social activity, to engage in contact with age-mates, and to do so not only at school, but also after classes. Proper social relations constitute an essential factor in the process of forming the self-assessment and the sense of self-efficacy, which are of crucial meaning for functioning in many areas of life [1,7]. Beside, there is a risk that a child who spends little time with age-mates will experience much more stress in the situations of social interactions than persons for whom social contacts are something normal in everyday functioning.…”

“…The child starts to exert pressure on the family, whereas, when separated from the family, he is not self-confident and new situations trigger anxiety reactions [2]. Reducing everyday duties and permanent supervision of the child result in difficulties in adoption to living in the society [5-7]. …”

Children with asthma: Assessment and treatment in school settings

“…Because corticosteroids prevent rather than relieve symptoms, children with asthma need to inhale the medication approximately twice daily, regardless of symptom presence or absence. Associating the treatment regimen with regular, daily activities or routines so as not to compromise treatment fidelity becomes important because these medications tend not to have an instantaneous effect on sudden attacks (Bray, Kehle, & Peck, 2004). In addition, regular corticosteroid treatment is imperative because it is the sole medication to attenuate inflammation of the airways.…”

Relaxation and guided imagery as an intervention for children with asthma: A replication

“…Psychologically based interventions that lead to improvements in lung functioning and reduced anxiety may also enhance the overall subjective well being of the individual (Bray, Kehle, Peck, Theodore, & Zhou, 2004). This may be of particular importance to students with asthma due to research findings that have indicated that asthmatics report themselves as feeling less happy about life and as having more somatic symptoms and feelings of depression than nonasthmatic students (Forero, Bauman, Young, Booth, & Nutbeam, 1996).…”