Are asthma patients unrealistically optimistic in the same ways as the healthy?

Abstract

Background: There is evidence that patients with psychosomatic disorders do not share the tendency to unrealistic optimism found in the healthy population when considering the risk of future health problems (unrelated to their current condition), but are more optimistic about physical threat than healthy individuals. It is hypothesised that asthma patients perceive risk similarly to the healthy population, and this may contribute to the problem of non-adherence to medication. Methods: Asthma, CFS/ME, and healthy groups (N=211) assessed the risk of particular health threats (eg arthritis) and physical threats (eg being burgled) in the future, for themselves and for other people of the same age and gender. Findings: There were significant differences among the groups; greater pessimism for health risk for self (versus other) was largest for asthma, and greater optimism for physical threat for self (versus other) was smallest for asthma. Discussion: Asthma patients differ from healthy individuals in their perceptions of future risks, in a manner partially shared with patients with psychosomatic disorders. Implications for non-adherence to medication in asthma will be discussed.