The Association between Anxiety and Asthma in Asthmatic Patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background: In prior research, the frequency of anxiety among asthmatic patients has been examined. However, the focus of our study is to explore the relationship between the severity of asthma and anxiety. Objectives: This study set out to determine how anxiety and asthma severity related to each other in patients receiving care at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study took place at a tertiary care hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 2021 to 2023, with approval from King Abdulaziz University Hospital's biomedical ethical committee (Reference No. 235-22). The study included 400 asthma patients, aged 14 or older, and based on PFT results. Patients with respiratory symptoms but not diagnosed with asthma were excluded. Information on the demographics of 185 asthma patients, as well as their asthma severity, anxiety levels, and GAD-7 scores were gathered. Results: The main results of the study showed that out of the total sample (n=185) 17.8% (p = 0.028) of the patients diagnosed with asthma had received the diagnosis generalized anxiety disorder by a medical professional in their lifetime. Additionally, higher proportion of patients who reported having total (57.4%, n = 35) or well (40.7%, n = 22) control of their asthma had minimal anxiety levels compared to those with mild to severe anxiety levels. Conclusion: The research emphasizes the significance of screening for anxiety among asthmatic patients and vice versa. There is a complex relationship between anxiety and asthma that warrants additional investigation and enhanced clinical awareness in the