The modifiable biopsychosocial drivers of psychological distress for adolescents with asthma: Implications for Clinical Care

Purpose: Overwhelming distress exceeds the capacity of healthy coping strategies to feel better using healthy coping strategies alone, resulting in the use of unhealthy coping strategies. Unhealthy coping strategies may exacerbate asthma symptoms and asthma can contribute to overwhelming distress. This study aimed to review the modifiable drivers of overwhelming distress in adolescents with asthma. Methods: The biopsychosocial drivers of psychological distress for adolescents with asthma were explored within the domains of the modifiable biopsychosocial model of health and wellbeing. Results: Asthma in adolescents is associated with problems in the domains of environment, developmental outcomes, sense of belonging, health behaviours, coping, and treatment of illness. Conclusions: The relationship between asthma and psychological distress highlights the need for holistic treatment of asthma. Further research is needed to establish causation between variables and to investigate whether interventions that address either asthma symptoms or biopsychosocial drivers of distress can improve both factors.