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Asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders among young persons in the community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2004

RENEE D. GOODWIN ,
DAVID M. FERGUSSON  and
L. JOHN HORWOOD
RENEE D. GOODWIN
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 43, New York, NY 10032, USA; Christchurch Health and Development Study, Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand
DAVID M. FERGUSSON
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 43, New York, NY 10032, USA; Christchurch Health and Development Study, Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand
L. JOHN HORWOOD
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 43, New York, NY 10032, USA; Christchurch Health and Development Study, Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Abstract

Background. The objectives of the study were to examine linkages between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders in a birth cohort of over 1000 young persons studied to the age of 21 years. Specifically, the study aimed to ascertain the extent to which associations between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders could be explained by non-observed fixed confounding factors.

Method. Asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders were measured prospectively over the course of a 21-year longitudinal study. Fixed effects logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders, adjusting for potentially confounding factors.

Results. Asthma in adolescence and young adulthood was associated with increased likelihood of major depression (OR 1·7, 95% CI 1·3–2·3), panic attacks (OR 1·9, 95% CI 1·3–2·8), and any anxiety disorder (OR 1·6, 95% CI 1·2–2·2). Associations between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders were adjusted for confounding factors using a fixed effects regression model which showed that, after control for fixed confounding factors, asthma was no longer significantly related to major depression (OR 1·1), panic attacks (OR 1·1), or any anxiety disorder (OR 1·2). Additional post hoc analyses suggested that exposure to childhood adversity or unexamined familial factors may account for some of the co-morbidity of asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders.

Conclusions. These results confirm and extend previous findings by documenting elevated rates of depressive and anxiety disorders among young adults with asthma, compared with their counterparts without asthma, in the community. The weight of the evidence from this study suggests that associations between asthma and depressive and anxiety symptoms may reflect effects of common factors associated with both asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders, rather than a direct causal link. Future research is needed to identify the specific factors underlying these associations.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 34 , Issue 8 , November 2004 , pp. 1465 - 1474
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

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