The authors investigated the interaction between perception of the social stressor and personality characteristics in the patient with asthma. Among 91 patients with asthma, 33 were grouped intrinsic, 39 were grouped extrinsic and 246 healthy persons participated in the study as control. Although patients with asthma were not different from control in LCU(Life Change Unit) and BEPSI(Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument) score, intrinsic group didn't perceive the stress proportional to the amount of external life change. Intrinsic group had the personality trait showed lower ego strength, less stable emotion compared with extrinsic and control. The personality trait was more prominent in the patients with long duration. In intrinsic group, patient with the higher ego strenght and more stable emotion, experienced the stronger stress to the same amount of external life changes.
The excessive perception of stress in the early stage of intrinsic asthma seems to be a factor that makes the personality trait clear.
