Psychological Variables in Allergic Disorders: a Review.

A SYCHOLOGICAL variables, viewed as etiological factors or as concomitant processes in allergic disease, have long been of speculative interest. Since 1950, the body of research and clinical reports relating psychological variables and allergic illness has grown rapidly. This paper will summarize and critically review this body of literature with the aim of integrating findings from diverse sources and methods. Special emphasis will be placed on methodological aspects in order to provide a focus for evaluating the current status of the area and to suggest profitable areas for future work. Mainly, papers in English dealing with psychological factors in respiratory allergy, published since 1950, are reviewed. Previous work has been comprehensively reviewed by Dunbar and Leigh; however, certain influential earlier papers are included in the present review as points of orientation. A