title: Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study aimed to investigate the mental health status in patients with asthma and assess the effects of asthma on suicidal ideation and attempts using a representative sample from Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual-level data were obtained from 228,744 participants (6372 with asthma and 222,372 without asthma) of the 2013 Korean Community Health Survey. Demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, physical health status, and mental health status were compared between patients with asthma and population without asthma. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to investigate the independent effects of the asthma on suicidal ideation and attempts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A depressed mood for 2 or more continuous weeks was reported by 12.0% of subjects with asthma and 5.7% of controls (p< 0.001). Suicidal thoughts were reported by 21.4% of patients with asthma and 9.8% of controls (p< 0.001). Suicidal attempts were reported by 1.0% of the patients with asthma and 0.4% of controls (p< 0.001). Following adjustment for age, sex, income, education, job, marital status, smoking, alcohol, exercise, and presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, arthritis, and depression, the ORs for suicidal ideation with asthma were 1.53 (95% CI 1.42-1.65) and that for suicidal attempts was 1.32 (95% CI 1.01-1.73).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that asthma increased the risk for suicidal ideation and attempts, even controlling for the effects of socioeconomic status, physical health status, comorbid chronic medical diseases, and depressive mood. Our finding suggests that asthma per se may be an independent risk factor for suicidality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, International St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, International St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Simgokro 100 Gil 25 Seo-gu, Incheon, 22711 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, International St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Asthma; Suicidal attempt; Suicidal ideation