Asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders among young persons in the community.
BACKGROUND
The objectives of the study were to examine linkages between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders in a birth cohort of over 1000 young persons studied to the age of 21 years. Specifically, the study aimed to ascertain the extent to which associations between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders could be explained by non-observed fixed confounding factors.


METHODS
Asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders were measured prospectively over the course of a 21-year longitudinal study. Fixed effects logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders, adjusting for potentially confounding factors.


RESULTS
Asthma in adolescence and young adulthood was associated with increased likelihood of major depression (OR 1.7, 95 % CI 1.3-2.3), panic attacks (OR 1.9, 95 % CI 1.3-2.8), and any anxiety disorder (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.2). Associations between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders were adjusted for confounding factors using a fixed effects regression model which showed that, after control for fixed confounding factors, asthma was no longer significantly related to major depression (OR 1.1), panic attacks (OR 1.1), or any anxiety disorder (OR 1.2). Additional post hoc analyses suggested that exposure to childhood adversity or unexamined familial factors may account for some of the co-morbidity of asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm and extend previous findings by documenting elevated rates of depressive and anxiety disorders among young adults with asthma, compared with their counterparts without asthma, in the community. The weight of the evidence from this study suggests that associations between asthma and depressive and anxiety symptoms may reflect effects of common factors associated with both asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders, rather than a direct causal link. Future research is needed to identify the specific factors underlying these associations.
Goodwin
Renee D
RD
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. rdg66@columbia.edu
Fergusson
David M
DM
Horwood
L John
LJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors