Abstract
Background: Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that require long-time of treatment and care to control the symptoms. Asthma imposes a significant clinical, social, and economic burden. While stress may be harmful for individuals with a bronchial asthma because preexisting physiological and psychological vulnerabilities may place them at a disadvantage that could increase their chances of suffering from the ill effects of stress. Nurses who are working with patient suffering from asthma are able to provide good care by reinforcing knowledge, ensuring adherence to a management plan, checking inhalation technique, and adjusting medication according to guidelines. The aim of this study is to assess and explore the stresses facing patients with bronchial asthma.
Design: This was a descriptive study Setting Bashier Jordanian hospital and prince Hamza hospital from out patients department.
Patients and methods: Adults patients with asthma(n=120) who were free from chronic illness completed questionnaires that measured three mains dimensions of stressors facing bronchial asthma patients ,such as treatment, family, and disease stressors. More than half of the sample (65%) had stress related to compliance with medications and (55%) were still unable to control the disease. Patients who did not understand the disease represent (72.8%) and nearly, (69%) of the sample patients sometimes depending on others. Meanwhile, (63%) of the sample had fear from death and more than half (58.3%) of them had problems in their sleep. However, (63%) reported that their disease effected their sexual activity.Conclusion: Asthma can cause physical discomfort, as well as psychological and social disruptions; almost all the participants in this study were facing various stressors which had impacts on their lives. Stressors related to compliance of treatment affected more than half of the participants. Concerning family stressors more than half of the patients complained from lack of family support. Finally, regarding the item (stress related to disease) the result showed that more than half of the patients fear from episodes of asthma attack.