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Breathlessness and psychiatric morbidity in chronic bronchitis and emphysema: a study of psychotherapeutic management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

R. Rosser ,
J. Denford ,
A. Heslop ,
W. Kinston ,
D. Macklin ,
K. Minty ,
C. Moynihan ,
B. Muir ,
L. Rein  and
A. Guz
R. Rosser*
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
J. Denford
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
A. Heslop
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
W. Kinston
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
D. Macklin
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
K. Minty
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
C. Moynihan
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
B. Muir
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
L. Rein
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
A. Guz
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine, Nursing and Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital and the Cassel Hospital, London
*
1 Address for Correspondence: Dr Rachel Rosser, Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF.
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Synopsis

This paper describes a study of the outcome of psychotherapy with patients disabled by chronic obstructive airways disease giving rise to dyspnoea. Forty-three men and 22 women with severe COAD were randomly allocated for 8 weeks to one of three types of psychotherapy or to an untreated control group, and were followed up six months later. The group treated by a medical nurse without training in psychotherapy experienced sustained relief of dyspnoea but tended to undergo less psychodynamic change; psychiatric symptoms were reduced in those receiving supportive, but not analytical, psychotherapy. The psychosomatic mechanisms involved and the implications for medical and nursing practice and for liaison psychotherapy are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , February 1983 , pp. 93 - 110
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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