title: Impact of allergy treatment on the association between allergies and mood and anxiety in a population sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have suggested an association between allergy and mood and anxiety disorders. Yet, extant work suffers from methodological limitations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between physician-diagnosed allergy and DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders in the general population, and to examine the role of allergy treatment in this relationship.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were drawn from the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey, a population-based, representative sample of 4,181 adults aged 18-65 in Germany. Allergy was diagnosed by physicians during medical examination and mental disorders were diagnosed using the CIDI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Allergy was associated with an increased prevalence of any anxiety disorder [OR = 1.3 (1.1, 1.6)], panic attacks [OR = 1.6 (1.1, 2.1)], panic disorder [OR = 1.6 (1.01, 2.3)], GAD [OR = 1.8 (1.1, 3.0)], any mood disorder [OR = 1.4 (1.1, 1.7)], depression [OR = 1.4 (1.1, 1.7)] and bipolar disorder [OR = 2.0, (1.0, 3.8)]. After adjusting for desensitization treatment status, these relationships were no longer significant. Those treated for allergy were significantly less likely to have any mood or anxiety disorder [OR = 0.65 (0.4, 0.96)], compared to those untreated. All relationships were adjusted for age, gender and socioeconomic status (SES).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide the first evidence of a link between physician-diagnosed allergy and DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders in a representative sample. Treatment for allergy may mitigate much of this relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), Flushing, NY, USA. rdg66@columbia.edu
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galea
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perzanowski
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jacobi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult