Higher risk of developing major depression and bipolar disorder in later life among adolescents with asthma: a nationwide prospective study

Abstract

Objective: Previous studies have suggested an immunological dysfunction in mood disorders, but rarely have investigated the temporal association between allergic diseases and mood disorders. Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we attempted to investigate the association between asthma in early adolescence and the risk of unipolar depression and bipolar disorder in later life.

Methods: In all, 1453 adolescents with asthma aged between 10 and 15 years and 5812 age-/gender-matched controls were selected in 1998-2000. Subjects with unipolar depression and bipolar disorder that occurred up to the end of follow-up (December 31 2010) were identified.

Results: Adolescents with asthma had a higher incidence of major depression (2.8% vs. 1.1%, p < 0.001), any depressive disorder (6.1% vs. 2.6%, p < 0.001), and bipolar disorder (1.0% vs. 0.3%, p < 0.001) than the control group. Cox regression analysis showed that asthma in early adolescence was associated with an increased risk of developing major depression (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.81, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14-2.89), any depressive disorder (HR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.27-2.37), and bipolar disorder (HR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.01-5.07), after adjusting for demographic data and comorbid allergic diseases.

Discussion: Adolescents with asthma had an elevated risk of developing mood disorders in later life. Further studies would be required to investigate the underlying mechanisms for this comorbid association and elucidate whether prompt intervention for asthma would decrease the risk of developing mood disorders.

Keywords: Asthma; Bipolar disorder; Major depression.