Sharing Experiences of Illness and Effectiveness of Asthma Therapy in Children

This research deals with relationships between openness and opportunities to share asthma experiences between an ill child and close family, and effectiveness of medical therapy of asthma. Subjects were 58 children, between the age of 12-14, from the allergic outpatient clinic with a diagnosed bronchial asthma and under pharmacological therapy. Each child answered questions on frequency and satisfaction with talking with parents, or other close family members, on his or her experiences related to asthma. A doctor conducting the therapy was asked to evaluate results of therapy, and intensity of the asthma, for each child. The data support the hypotheses that degree of sharing own asthma-related experiences with close persons correlates positively with effectiveness of therapy. This effect appears stronger among children with more severe asthma.