Asthma society research launch involving UCC researchers

Pictured at the Health and Wellbeing Study launch L-R: Caitriona Kennedy, Prof Stephen Lane, Jennifer Heaney (Novartis), Dr Mary Hughes, Sharon Cosgrove (Asthma Society of Ireland), Prof David Hevey

PRESS RELEASE

61% OF IRISH ADULTS WITH ASTHMA IN IRELAND EXPERIENCE DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND 1 in 5 UNABLE TO WORK DUE TO THEIR HEALTH

ASTHMA SOCIETY OF IRELAND, NOVARTIS AND UCC LAUNCH SIGNIFICANT INVESTIGATION INTO WELLBEING OF IRISH ADULTS WITH ASTHMA

The Asthma Society of Ireland with support from Novartis today launched the results of a significant investigation into the wellbeing and mental health of Irish adults with Asthma at the National Gallery in Dublin. The study revealed that 61% of those with Asthma in Ireland have admitted experiencing depressive symptoms in the last four weeks while 1 in 5 (20%) revealed they were unable to work due to their health. The study also revealed that 82% of respondents felt their physical health was also limited as a result of their Asthma.

6% of those studied admitted to feeling depressed “most of the time” with 61% agreeing that depressive symptoms were present. 10% of those surveyed also outlined that they felt “much more limited” in comparison to others their age. More than half (54%) said they “felt despair” over their health at some stage, with 14% outlining they felt that way most, or all of the time.

Almost 1 in 10  (9%) respondents to the study also revealed that sleep was the daily activity they felt was most interfered with and almost 30% agreed that they felt discouraged by their health problems all of the time or most of the time during the last 4 weeks alone. A very high 46% of people with Asthma outlined that they had little or no energy over the past 4 weeks.

The loss of productivity in the workforce and at school due to Asthma related illness is 12 days per adult, and 10 days per child per year in Ireland (Manning et al. 2007), and at a cost to the exchequer of €2,737 per hospital admission (Health Service Executive 2009). Despite the availability of comprehensive guidelines on Asthma management (GINA 2012, Holohan et al. 2012), morbidity rates in adults continue to rise, with worrying levels of control having been highlighted by the REALISE study (Price et al. 2014). 

First row L-R: Jerry Buttimer TD, Jennifer Heaney (Novartis),  Sharon Cosgrove (CEO, Asthma Society of Ireland); at the back L-R: Dr Mary Hughes, Caitriona Kennedy, Prof Stephen Lane

The Health and Wellbeing Study was commissioned by the Asthma Society of Ireland, Novartis and UCC. The objectives of the study were to investigate how adults living with Asthma in Ireland perceive their health and wellbeing; explore how severely the disease affects the everyday life of adults living with Asthma in Ireland; investigate whether there is a relationship between the concepts of health and wellbeing in those living with Asthma and distinguish how perceptions of health and perceptions of wellbeing affect one another.  

Full article can be downloaded here; 

For further information log onto www.asthma.ie

ENDS

For further information please contact

Insight Consultants

Claire O’Grady I claire@insightconsultants.ie I 01 293 9977 I 083 419 93 96

Aislinn Hughes I aislinn@insightconsultants.ie I 01 293 9977 I 087 901 2267