Association of depressive symptoms and disease activity in children with asthma: methodological and clinical implications.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms in children with asthma and the association between depression and asthma activity.


METHODS
Children ages 7 to 17 (n = 129) were recruited from a hospital emergency department after presenting for asthma symptoms. The majority of subjects were from disadvantaged, inner city families. Subjects' asthma disease activity was assessed using the revised National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines, and subjects' emotional status was assessed by a combination of self-, parent-, and clinician-reported measures. Parental emotional status was assessed by self-report.


RESULTS
Depressive symptoms within the clinical range were reported in 26% of subjects and 43% of mothers, although symptom severity varied across scales. Self-reported depressive symptoms were more strongly correlated with asthma activity (r = 0.25) than clinician-reported (r = 0.14) or parent-reported symptoms (r = 0.12/0.18). Depressive symptoms in parents were correlated with child's depression scores but not with their asthma activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Depressive symptoms were common and associated with asthma activity in this inner city population of asthmatic children. Self-reported depressive symptoms were more strongly associated with child's asthma activity than either parental depression or parental/clinician ratings of the child's depression.
Waxmonsky
James
J
Drs. Waxmonsky, Wood, Cramer-Benjamin, and Miller and Ms. Stern are with the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Ballow is with the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Lillis is with the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Mador is with the Departments of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo.. Electronic address: jgw@buffalo.edu.
Wood
Beatrice L
BL
Drs. Waxmonsky, Wood, Cramer-Benjamin, and Miller and Ms. Stern are with the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Ballow is with the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Lillis is with the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Mador is with the Departments of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo.
Stern
Trudy
T
Drs. Waxmonsky, Wood, Cramer-Benjamin, and Miller and Ms. Stern are with the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Ballow is with the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Lillis is with the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Mador is with the Departments of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo.
Ballow
Mark
M
Drs. Waxmonsky, Wood, Cramer-Benjamin, and Miller and Ms. Stern are with the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Ballow is with the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Lillis is with the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Mador is with the Departments of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo.
Lillis
Kathleen
K
Drs. Waxmonsky, Wood, Cramer-Benjamin, and Miller and Ms. Stern are with the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Ballow is with the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Lillis is with the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Mador is with the Departments of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo.
Cramer-Benjamin
Darci
D
Drs. Waxmonsky, Wood, Cramer-Benjamin, and Miller and Ms. Stern are with the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Ballow is with the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Lillis is with the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Mador is with the Departments of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo.
Mador
Jeffrey
J
Drs. Waxmonsky, Wood, Cramer-Benjamin, and Miller and Ms. Stern are with the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Ballow is with the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Lillis is with the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Mador is with the Departments of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo.
Miller
Bruce D
BD
Drs. Waxmonsky, Wood, Cramer-Benjamin, and Miller and Ms. Stern are with the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Ballow is with the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Lillis is with the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Mador is with the Departments of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo.
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index