Asthma and suicide-related adverse events: a review of observational studies

Abstract

Suicide is a major public health concern. There are several risk factors associated with suicide. Chronic illnesses, such as asthma, have been linked to an increased risk of suiciderelated events. This study reviews the evidence of an association between asthma and suicide using published epidemiological observational studies.An electronic search using PubMed and EMBASE was performed. Studies that investigated the association of asthma with suicide-related behaviour were selected. Studies were examined to form a descriptive analysis.Six observational studies met the selection criteria, of which at least one suicide-related adverse event was studied. Three studies investigated completed suicide, two suicide attempts and four suicide ideation. Two of the studies focused on individuals aged ,18 yrs.Evidence from observational data support the hypothesis of an association between asthma and suicide-related behaviour (ideation, attempts and completion); however, epidemiological studies, with more objective measures and larger sample sizes, adjusting for a wider scope of suicide-related confounding factors (e.g. comorbidities), and with a longitudinal design, are needed for a more conclusive answer.

Risk of suicide for individuals reporting asthma and atopy in young adulthood: Findings from the Glasgow Alumni study

“…Contrary to previous studies ( Kuo et al, 2010; Iessa et al, 2011; Qin et al, 2011 ) we found no evidence for our a priori hypothesis of an association of asthma and/or atopy phenotypes in young adulthood with later suicide. However, individuals with a family history of atopy or both eczema–urticaria and hay fever were associated with a higher risk of suicide.…”

“…In 1966 Paffenbarger reported a higher percentage of allergic reaction to irritants and a consistent, “although not statistically significant”, higher percentage of asthma, among students who had died by suicide compared to controls ( Paffenbarger and Asnes, 1966 ). Since then, a systematic review ( Iessa et al, 2011 ) and additional papers ( Timonen et al, 2001; Kuo et al, 2010; Qin et al, 2011; Loerbroks et al, 2012 ) have documented a higher risk of suicide ideation, attempt or death as well as depression among asthmatics and/or people with reported or measured atopy. Despite this increasing evidence, important confounders such as socioeconomic position (SEP), smoking and comorbidities were not available in all studies and so may have confounded these reported associations ( Woo et al, 2012 ).…”

Neuropsychiatric Events Associated with Leukotriene-Modifying Agents: A Systematic Review

“…Some major confounding factors are the severity and comorbidities of asthma. A review from observational studies has shown the association between asthma and suicide-related behavior [45]. Asthmatic patients are also more likely to have mental health problems including depression and anxiety disorders [46][47][48].…”

The Risk of Depression in Patients with Pemphigus: A Nationwide Cohort Study in Taiwan

“…The risk factors for depression include female gender, being unemployed, low education status, and diseases that significantly affect daily life [6]. Several chronic conditions have been associated with depression, such as infectious diseases [7], respiratory diseases [8], cardiovascular diseases [9], and cancers [10].…”