Stigma in Asthma Patients: A Barrier to Effective Management

Abstract

Asthma is among the world's most prevalent chronic respiratory diseases, affecting more than 260 million people; it accounts for a substantial morbidity burden and healthcare cost.1 Although there has been a lot of improvement in treatment and management strategies, asthma patients are still confronted by one of the greatest and often overlooked challenges, known as stigma.2 It has also been known that stigma is associated with perceiving asthma as a mild or exaggerated condition, thereby delaying treatment, contributing to poor adherence to prescribed medications, and causing psychological disturbances in the patients.2 Tackling stigma, therefore, becomes imperative in improving asthma outcomes and ensuring optimal disease management.