Psychopathology and Self-Concept in Asthmatic Children

Fifty-six asthmatic and 56 matched control children and their parents were administered several psychiatric inventories including the child (DICA) and parent (DICA-P) versions of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, the Child Behavior Checklist, the Hopelessness Scale, and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. While asthmatic children did not differ from control children in self-concept, there was some evidence suggesting that asthmatic children were at greater risk to psychopathology. Interestingly, severity of asthma appeared to be largely unrelated to psychiatric problems