Preschoolers with asthma could benefit from early psychological screening and interventions to reduce their risk of anxiety during adolescence, according to Australian researchers. 

The advice follows their study results showing that children who have asthma are almost twice as likely to develop anxiety between the ages of six and 15 compared with those without the condition. 

The University of Queensland–led team analysed parental reports from some 9400 kids in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) — a quarter of whom had asthma at baseline (age 4-5). 

Overall, about 22% of the cohort with asthma had symptoms of anxiety by the time they reached age 14-15.