title: A nationwide assessment of asthma-mental health nexus among veterans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we evaluated the association between both current and lifetime asthma to that of mental illness among veterans in the USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We utilized the 2005-2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, a national population-based survey in the USA. Mental illness was defined as past year major depressive episode and doctor diagnosis of depression. Survey-weighted univariate and multivariable regression analyses were utilized. A total of 20,581 veterans were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 4.00% and 7.50% prevalence of current and lifetime asthma were noted among veterans, respectively. A significantly higher prevalence of major depressive episode was noted among veterans with current asthma (8.23%), as compared to those without (4.68%), with a similar trend noted among those with lifetime asthma versus those without (7.84% vs. 4.58%). Doctor diagnosis of depression among veterans was higher among those with current asthma (11.83% vs. 5.86%) and lifetime asthma (10.32% vs. 5.76%), as compared to those without asthma. Upon adjusting for confounders, current asthma was significantly associated with past year major depressive episode [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.65) and depression diagnosis (aOR = 1.88). Similarly, veterans with lifetime asthma, as compared to those without, had higher odds of past year major depressive episode (aOR = 1.56) and depression diagnosis (aOR = 1.66).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The asthma/mental health nexus is significant among the US veterans. Such results warrant the need for integrated care to address mental health burden among veterans with asthma.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Science and Human Ecology , California State University , San Bernardino , CA , USA .
authors.forename: Monideepa Bhattacharya
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Becerra
authors.affiliation: b School of Allied Health Professions, Loma Linda University , Loma Linda , CA , USA , and.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Becerra
authors.affiliation: c School of Medicine, University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.
authors.forename: Nasia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Safdar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Asthma; National Survey on Drug Use and Health; depression; major depressive episode; mental health; veterans