Chaos at home and asthma in children – the link

A chaotic household is a household in which there is a lot of disorganized behavior and noise. This makes relaxation impossible and often leads to stress and anxiety. Studies have linked chaotic households with anxiety and depressive disorders in children and adults.

A new study found that asthma symptoms worsened among children belonging to minority groups and living in urban areas if they lived in chaotic homes. The study entitledControl of family chaos and asthma, "Was published in the last issue of the journal pediatrics.

Medical equipment and medications for the treatment of asthma. Image Credit: OnlyZoia / Shutterstock

Sally Weinstein, badociate professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Illinois at the Chicago College of Medicine and badociate director of the Center on Depression and Resiliency at the University of Illinois, has directed this study. She explained, "Higher levels of chaos, including lack of organization or well-established routines, seem to be a pathway linking parental depression to worse control of asthma in children."

The team found that urban youth from minority groups were more likely to have asthma, had less asthma control, and were more likely to die of asthma than the general population. The researchers add that there are several studies linking environmental factors and drugs to asthma. This study relates environmental psychosocial factors to asthma.

Depression and anxiety disorders in children are badociated with worse asthma outcomes and increased use of rescue medications due to exacerbations. Parental depression and family conflict have also been badociated with worsening asthma in children, the team wrote.

This study focused on the interaction between the child and the members of his family as well as their functioning and attempted to measure his relationship with the worsening of asthma . They targeted urban children and youth belonging to minority groups with uncontrolled asthma. The team defines uncontrolled asthma as asthma with excessive symptoms and frequent exacerbations requiring the use of rescue medications.

The team included 223 children between the ages of 5 and 16 and checked whether they, or one of their parents, had depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or symptoms of PTSD. They also checked the control of asthma in these participants. This was part of a longitudinal study (called the Erie study) where asthma control was improved through Action against asthma, which was educational interventions for the control of asthma.

Prior to the start of the study, each participant was interviewed for depression, PTSD, or familial chaos in children. Asthma control was measured throughout the duration of the study using the asthma control test. This test is a standardized evaluation technique to detect the severity of asthma and symptoms in children. Each family was asked to list the number of days a child was incapacitated in the previous two weeks due to asthma symptoms. The team badessed the family chaos using a 15-question questionnaire. There were questions such as: "Despite our best efforts, we always seem to be late", "We can usually find things when we need them", "We always seem to be in a hurry" or "Our house is a good one place to relax, etc.

The results showed that parental and infantile depressive symptoms were related to worsening asthma control. The symptoms of PTSD however were not related to less effective control of asthma. Researchers have badociated higher levels of family chaos with greater control of asthma. The factors of parental and infantile depression were controlled, and the effects of family chaos were evaluated in children. The badociation between family chaos and the worsening of asthma remained strong even after such adjustment.

The authors write: "The emotional triggers of asthma also contributed to the parent-depression-asthma relationship."

Weinstein said, "When a parent is depressed, it's harder to make sure that family routines run smoothly, but it's also harder to handle the day-to-day demands of caring for them." their child's asthma, which may require multiple medications and avoid triggers. "" We found that in more chaotic families, the control of asthma in children tended to be worse. "The authors From the text conclude: "Stimulating depression between parents and children, family routines and predictability can optimize asthma outcomes.

The study's lead researcher, Dr. Molly Martin, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the UIC College of Medicine, said, "Our findings highlight the role of family chaos in the worst outcomes of asthma in children. children of these families. Pediatricians and asthma specialists should consider and address the problem of depression among parents and children and provide support to optimize household routines to improve control of the condition. Asthma in children. "

This study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.