Seasonal Allergies and Psychiatric Disorders in the United States

Abstract

Seasonal allergies have been associated with mental health problems, though the evidence is still emergent, particularly in the United States. We analyzed data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication and the National Latino and Asian American Survey (years 2001–2003). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the relations between lifetime allergies and lifetime psychiatric disorders (each disorder in a separate model), adjusting for socio-demographic variables (including region of residence) and tobacco use. Analyses were also stratified to test for effect modification by race and sex. A history of seasonal allergies was associated with greater odds of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders, but not alcohol or substance use disorders, after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and tobacco use. The associations between seasonal allergies and mood disorders, substance use disorders, and alcohol use disorders were particularly strong for Latino Americans. The association between seasonal allergies and eating disorders was stronger for men than women. Seasonal allergies are a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. Individuals complaining of seasonal allergies should be screened for early signs of mental health problems and referred to specialized services accordingly.

Anxiety and depression risk in patients with allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Forty studies were further excluded after full-text reading, leaving 24 primary studies included in the systematic review . Among the included papers, 13 studies solely reported results on depression (19,(21)(22)(23)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)36,37,39,41) , one study solely reported results on anxiety (35) and 10 studies presented results on both depression and anxiety (18,20,(24)(25)(26)(27)33,34,38,40) . Of these 24 primary studies, 12 studies (20,(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(34)(35)(36)38,39,41) presented OR from multivariable regression models and were included in our main analyses -11 studies (20,(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)34,36,38,39,41) provided results from multivariable models assessing the association between A...…”

“…Eleven studies were conducted in America (19)(20)(21)(24)(25)(26)(27)29,35,36,41) , 7 in Europe (18,28,32,33,37,38,40) and 5 in Asia (22,23,30,31,39) . Thirteen studies included only adults (18,20,21,(27)(28)(29)(30)33,(35)(36)(37)(39)(40)(41) , 6 included only children/adolescents (19,22,23,26,31,34) and 4 included participants of both age groups (24,25,32,38) . Allergic rhinitis diagnosis was performed by a physician at the time of assessment in 6 studies (18)(19)(20)…”

Residential green space and seasonal distress in a cohort of tree pollen allergy patients

“…Allergy and psychological stress are related (Dave et al, 2011). Combined data from two household surveys in the USA (n = 10,334) suggests that lifetime seasonal allergies are associated with mood disorders (OR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.26-1.67) and anxiety disorders (OR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.42-1.78) (Oh et al, 2018). A study of 1,673 adolescents in Taiwan showed that adolescents with allergic rhinitis had increased hazard ratios for major depression (HR 1.59; 95% CI 1.02-2.50) (Chen et al, 2013).…”

Emotional distress and quality of life in allergic diseases

“…Allergic rhinitis reduces quality of life, school and work performance [24]. There are reports, which show relation between allergic rhinitis and mood disorders, anxiety disorders and suicidal ideation [25]. Other than impact of symptoms on the somatic and mental spheres, the economic effects are significant.…”