The role of acute and chronic stress in asthma attacks in children.

Background: High levels of stress have been shown to predict the onset of asthma in children genetically at risk, and to correlate with higher asthma morbidity. Our study set out to examine whether stressful experiences actually provoke new exacerbations in children who already have asthma.Methods: A group of child patients with verified chronic asthma were prospectively followed up for 18 months. We used continuous monitoring of asthma by the use of diaries and daily peak-flow values, accompanied by repeated interview assessments of life events and long-term psychosocial experiences. The key measures included asthma exacerbations, severely negative life events, and chronic stressors.Findin…