What is the Link Between Asthma and Depression?

Depression and asthma are two highly prevalent chronic diseases in the United States and worldwide, imposing unacceptable social and economic burdens on the public healthcare system [. Approximately 16% of adults in the United States are diagnosed with major depression disorder, and 5.8% of men and 9.5% of women will likely experience an episode of depression within a 12-month period . Equally detrimental, asthma affects 39.5 million Americans, 29.0 million of which are adults, and 300 million individuals worldwide , with increasing prevalence in many countries . Because both depression and asthma impose substantial public health burdens, the association between these two conditions has attracted attention over the past several decades.
"In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Montefiore Health System, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine are working together to examine the link between depression and asthma in older adults.
Funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the study will consist of 400 patients over the age of 60 who have persistent asthma and are receiving an asthma-control medication; half of the patients also will have comorbid major depression. Participants will represent socio-demographics of most US urban communities and will include English and Spanish-speaking adults. The 4-year study, which is scheduled to begin in September, will assess patients for depression, inflammation, and medication adherence at study initiation and again at 6, 12, and 18 months."