Summary: Chronic respiratory diseases are common in the population and asthma is a growing problem in modern society. It affects both adults and children and impairs not only patients’ physical functioning but also influences their psychological state by significantly worsening, among others, the quality of social and family life and work or school performance. There is a need for a multidisciplinary approach that will allow patients to get educated and treated not only in the context of the somatic disease but also to ensure full physiological, psychological and social well-being.
The paper describes aspects of social functioning of asthma patients, and the causes and consequences of its impairment. Additionally it mentions characteristics of social malfunctions affecting children with this chronic disease. The authors offer some practical advice regarding diagnostic methods and interventions that can be applied to adults and children with bronchial asthma.