UK survey finds major mental-health awareness gap in chronic respiratory disease

A UK survey presented at the ERS Congress in Barcelona found that most adults have little or no awareness of the link between chronic respiratory disease and mental health. The research argues that psychosocial support should be built into respiratory care, with potential implications for NHS pathways, commissioning and patient outcomes.

Why it matters: - The findings point to a gap in how chronic respiratory disease is understood and treated. - Limited awareness can delay psychological support, reduce help-seeking and make it harder for patients to talk with clinicians. - The research argues that mental health support should be part of routine respiratory care, not treated as separate from lung disease. - The report also frames the issue as a service-design problem for the NHS, Integrated Care Systems and strategic commissioners.

What happened: - Dr Devi Sundar, director of integrative health and a researcher at Tele-Therapies Ltd, presented the Breath & Mind national survey on 8 September at the European Respiratory Society Congress 2026 in Barcelona. - The survey was conducted with YouGov in October 2025 and included 2,173 UK adults. - The presentation was titled “Emotional Breathlessness and Mental-Health Awareness in Chronic Respiratory Disease.” - The survey found that 69% of public respondents reported low or no awareness of the relationship between chronic respiratory disease and mental health. - The presentation focused on the psycho-social dimensions of chronic respiratory illness and their implications for respiratory services, public health, policy and strategic commissioning.

The details: - Awareness varied by demographic group. - Awareness was 38% among separated or divorced respondents and people not in employment, compared with 28% among men. - By age, awareness was 32% among people aged 18–24, fell to 25% among those aged 35–44, and rose to 36% among people aged 55 and over. - Regional awareness ranged from 27% in the South East to 37% in Wales. - The research says respiratory illness is shaped by more than clinical symptoms. - Fear, stigma and psychological difficulties can affect treatment engagement and participation in pulmonary rehabilitation. - Housing, income, employment, transport, relationships, regional environment and social isolation may also affect how people manage chronic respiratory disease. - The Breath & Mind report proposes five priorities: routine mental-health screening at first respiratory assessment, psychosocially integrative pulmonary rehabilitation, mandatory trauma-informed training for respiratory clinicians, a national awareness campaign on emotional breathlessness and integration of psychosocial support into community and neighbourhood services. - Economic modelling in the report estimates potential NHS savings of £100 million to £500 million a year. - The report includes a DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17644275.

Between the lines: - The research pushes against a narrow view of respiratory care that focuses mainly on the lungs. - It suggests many patient barriers are social and psychological, not just clinical. - That matters because commissioning decisions often follow service structures, while the report argues patients experience care as a combined physical and mental-health journey. - Dr Sundar said, “Emotional breathlessness is about the person, not just the lungs.” - Dr Sundar also said, “Strategic commissioning must not only see the structure; it must see the person within the structure.” - The report’s policy pitch is also backed by parliamentary engagement, which gives the issue a wider health-policy frame.

What’s next: - Dr Sundar is seeking clarity on whether psychological assessment and evidence-based psycho-social interventions will be built into future respiratory service frameworks, pathway transformation programmes and multidisciplinary respiratory care. - The research builds on a written question tabled on 10 July 2025 by Alex McIntyre, Gloucester MP, after written evidence was shared. - The Government response referred to NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression associated with long-term conditions. - Dr Sundar followed the Westminster Hall debate for World COPD Day on 20 November 2025, where the Government set out its commitment to improve respiratory care. - Dr Sundar has also contacted Peter Hand, public affairs and stakeholder manager at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, in 2025 and 2026 about the Breath & Mind survey and its relevance to the Mental Health All-Party Parliamentary Group. - The psychological and social burden of respiratory disease was also discussed at the ERS Congress session on 9 September 2026, “Invisible Burdens: The Stigma of Lung Conditions.”

The bottom line: - The Breath & Mind survey says chronic respiratory care is missing a major mental-health component, and the NHS may be paying the price in poorer engagement, unmet need and avoidable costs.