The American Thoracic Society has d

The American Thoracic Society has defined dyspnoea as a
“subjective experience of breathing discomfort that derives from
interactions among multiple physiological, psychological, social,
and environmental factors, which may induce secondary physiological
and behavioural responses”

The
impact of psychological factors on dyspnoea perception in chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a topic of
growing interest as the multidimensional nature of dyspnoea has
become more evident

This finding is important
because anxious and depressive symptoms and disorders are
common in COPD, and they increase suffering, morbidity, utilisation
of health services, and even mortality