Mental disorders and asthma in the elderly: a population-based study.
BACKGROUND
Clinical studies have mostly linked anxiety disorders with asthma in young patients, but the data are inconsistent for depression. Few population-based studies have investigated the co-morbid diagnoses of mental disorders with asthma in older adults.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of a population sample of older adults aged 60 and above (n = 1092). The diagnoses of recent depression and anxiety were made using the Geriatric Mental State (GMS) Schedule. The presence of asthma was ascertained by self-reports of physician-diagnosed asthma.


RESULTS
Asthma was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive disorders, with odds ratio of 2.45 (95% CI, 1.06-5.69) when compared against non-asthmatic controls; and 2.42 (95% CI, 1.04-5.64) when compared against controls with other chronic illnesses, after adjusting for psychosocial factors, physical co-morbidity and use of depression-causing drugs. Odds ratios were elevated but statistically insignificant for anxiety disorders and dementia.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed that asthma in the elderly was more evidently associated co-morbidly with depression, rather than anxiety disorder. However, possible associations with anxiety and dementia are not excluded, and should be further investigated.
Ng
Tze-Pin
TP
Gerontological Research Programme, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. pcmngtp@nus.edu.sg
Chiam
Peak-Chiang
PC
Kua
Ee-Heok
EH
D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D012846:Singapore; D013223:Statistics as Topic