The aim of the current study was to develop a more
nuanced understanding of the association between the social environment and uncertainty. Illness uncertainty and the social environment were examined in a sample of patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD)-associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our research team has previously demonstrated that illness uncertainty (specifically ambiguity) is prospectively associated with depression, anxiety,
shortness of breath, and worse quality of life in this sample