Allergic rhinitis in adolescence increases the risk of depression in later life: a nationwide population-based prospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Many cross-sectional studies have suggested an association between allergic rhinitis (AR) and depression, but the timing relationship was not determined. Using a nationwide population-based prospective cohort study (1:4, age-/gender-matched), we hypothesized that AR in adolescence would increase the risk of depression in later life.


METHODS
In all, 1673 adolescents aged 12-15 that had AR between 1996 and 2000 were recruited for our study. Cases of major depressive disorder and any depressive disorder that occurred to the end of follow-up (December 31, 2010) were identified.


RESULTS
Adolescents with AR had a higher prevalence of major depression (2.5% vs. 1.2%, p<0.001) and any depressive disorder (4.9% vs. 2.8%, p<0.001) and an earlier onset of major depression (19.31 ± 2.91 vs. 20.43 ± 2.71 years, p=0.038) and any depressive disorder (19.35 ± 2.63 vs. 20.43 ± 2.62 years, p=0.002) compared with the controls. The Cox regression model showed that adolescents with AR had increased HRs of major depression (HR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.02-2.50) and any depressive disorder (HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.04-1.93) after controlling residence location and comorbid allergic diseases.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of depressive disorder may be underestimated because only those who had medicine-seeking behaviors were enrolled.


CONCLUSIONS
This first cohort case-control study showed an association between AR in early adolescence and depression in late adolescence and early adulthood. Our results suggested that allergic responses played important roles in the development of depression.
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Mu-Hong
MH
Chen
Tung-Ping
TP
Su
Ying-Sheue
YS
Chen
Ju-Wei
JW
Hsu
Kai-Lin
KL
Huang
Wen-Han
WH
Chang
Ya-Mei
YM
Bai
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult