Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Current Psychiatry Reports
Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports 1/2012

01-02-2012 | MEDICOPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (WJ KATON, SECTION EDITOR)

Asthma and Suicide: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

Author: Renee D. Goodwin

Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports | Issue 1/2012

Login to get access

Abstract

The prevalence of asthma has risen dramatically, especially among youth, in recent years, and asthma is now among the most common chronic conditions. Recent studies suggest a relationship between asthma and suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and death by suicide. This paper reviews the literature, summarizes the weight of evidence, and discusses the clinical implications and future directions for research.
Literature
1.
Krug EG, Dahlberg L, Mercy J, Zwi A, Lozano R. World report on violence and health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2002.
2.
Fields WW, Asplin BR, Larkin GL, Marco CA, Johnson LA, Yeh C, et al. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act as a federal health care safety net program. Acad Emerg Med. 2001;8(11):1064–9.PubMedCrossRef
3.
Suicide trends among youths and young adults aged 10–24 years—United States, 1990–2004. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2007. p. 905–8.
4.
Bruce ML, Ten Have TR, Reynolds CF, Schulberg HC, Mulsant BH, Brown GK, et al. Reducing suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms in depressed older primary care patients: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004;291(19):1081–91.PubMedCrossRef
5.
Malone KM, Haas GL, Sweeney JA, Mann JJ. Major depression and the risk of attempted suicide. J Affect Disord. 1995;34:173–85.PubMedCrossRef
6.
7.
8.
Murphy GE. Psychiatric aspects of suicidal behaviour: substance abuse. In: Hawton K, van Heeringen K, editors. The international handbook of suicide and attempted suicide. New York: Wiley; 2000. p. 135–46.CrossRef
9.
Goodwin R, Marusic A, Hoven C. Suicide attempts in the United States: the role of physical illness. Soc Sci Med. 2003;56(8):1783–8.PubMedCrossRef
10.
Goldstein RB, Black DW, Nasrallah A, Winokur G. The prediction of suicide. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of a multivariate model applied to suicide among 1906 patients with affective disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991;48(5):418–22.PubMedCrossRef
11.
Brown GK, Beck AT, Steer RA, Grisham JR. Risk factors for suicide in psychiatric outpatients: a 20-year prospective study. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2000;68(3):371–7.PubMedCrossRef
12.
Catanzaro S. Mood regulation and suicidal behavior. In: Joiner T, Rudd D, editors. Suicide science: expanding the boundaries. Norwell: Kluwer Academic Publishers; 2000. p. 81–103.
13.
Larkin GL, Beautrais AL, Gibb S, Laing N. The epidemiology of presentations for suicidal ideation to the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med. 2008;15(5: Suppl 1):S208–S9.
14.
Webber MP, Carpiniello KE, Oruwariye T, Appel DK. Prevalence of asthma and asthma-like symptoms in inner-city elementary schoolchildren. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2002;34(2):105–11.PubMedCrossRef
15.
Expert Panel Report 3: guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma (EPR-3 2007). Bethesda, MD: U.S Department of Health and Human Services; National Institutes of Health; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Asthma Education and Prevention Program; 2007.
16.
Asthma mortality and hospitalization among children and young adults—United States, 1980–1993. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1996. p. 350–3.
17.
18.
Schappert SM, Rechtsteiner EA. Ambulatory Medical Care Utilization Estimates for 2006: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Statistics NCfH; 2008.
19.
Gebert N, Hummelink R, Konning J, Staab D, Schmidt S, Szczepanski R, et al. Efficacy of a self-management program for childhood asthma—a prospective controlled study. Patient Educ Couns. 1998;35(3):213–20.PubMedCrossRef
20.
Surveillance for Asthma—United States, 1980–1999. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2002.
21.
Oh EG. The relationship between disease control, symptom distress, functioning, and quality of life in adults with asthma. J Asthma. 2008;45(10):882–6.PubMedCrossRef
22.
Bartlett SJ, Krishnan JA, Riekert KA, Butz AM, Malveaux FJ, Rand CS. Maternal depressive symptoms and adherence to therapy in inner-city children with asthma. Pediatrics. 2004;113(2):229–37.PubMedCrossRef
23.
Shalowitz MU, Berry CA, Quinn KA, Wolf RL. The relationship of life stressors and maternal depression to pediatric asthma morbidity in a subspecialty practice. Ambul Pediatr. 2001;1(4):185–93.PubMedCrossRef
24.
Fritz GK, McQuaid EL, Spirito A, Klein RB. Symptom perception in pediatric asthma: relationship to functional morbidity and psychological factors. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatr. 1996;35(8):1033–41.CrossRef
25.
Weil CM, Wade SL, Bauman LJ, Lynn H, Mitchell H, Lavigne J. The relationship between psychosocial factors and asthma morbidity in inner-city children with asthma. Pediatrics. 1999;104:1274–80.PubMedCrossRef
26.
Hawton K, Fagg J. Suicide, and other causes of death, following attempted suicide. Br J Psychiatry. 1988;152:359–66.PubMedCrossRef
27.
De Leo D, Scocco P, Marietta P, Schmidtke A, Bille-Brahe U, Kerkhof AJ, et al. Physical illness and parasuicide: evidence from the European Parasuicide Study Interview Schedule (EPSIS/WHO-EURO). Int J Psychiatr Med. 1999;29(2):149–63.CrossRef
28.
Whitlock FA. The psychiatric complications of Parkinson’s disease. Aust N Z J Psychiatr. 1986;20(2):114–21.CrossRef
29.
Stenager E. Suicidal behaviour and somatic disorders. Ugeskr Laeger. 2008;170(7):517–22.PubMed
30.
Farberow L, McKelligott JW, Cohen S, Darbonne A. Suicide among patients with cardiorespiratory illnesses. JAMA. 1966;195(6):422–8.PubMedCrossRef
31.
Goodwin RD, Kroenke K, Hoven CW, Spitzer RL. Major depression, physical illness, and suicidal ideation in primary care. Psychosom Med. 2003;65(4):501–5.PubMedCrossRef
32.
Hernandez Robles M, Ramirez Enriquez C, Gonzalez Diaz SN, Canseco Gonzalez C, Arias Cruz A, del Castillo O. Psychological profile of the pediatric asthma patient. Rev Alerg Mex. 2002;49(1):11–5.PubMed
33.
Druss B, Pincus H. Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in general medical illnesses. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(10):1522–6.PubMedCrossRef
34.
Goodwin RD, Eaton WW. Asthma, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts: findings from the Baltimore epidemiologic catchment area follow-up. Am J Public Health. 2005;95(4):717–22.PubMedCrossRef
35.
Clarke DE, Goodwin RD, Messias EL, Eaton WW. Asthma and suicidal ideation with and without suicide attempts among adults in the United States: what is the role of cigarette smoking and mental disorders? Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008;100(5):439–46.PubMedCrossRef
36.
37.
Boden JM, Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ. Cigarette smoking and suicidal behaviour: results from a 25-year longitudinal study. Psychol Med. 2008;38:433–9.PubMedCrossRef
38.
••Kuo CJ, Chen VC, Lee WC, Chen WJ, Ferri CP, Stewart R, et al. Asthma and suicide mortality in young people: a 12-year follow-up study. Am J Psychiatry. 2010;167(9):1092–9. This was the first study to show a relationship between asthma and death by suicide among youth.PubMedCrossRef
39.
Naper S. All-cause and cause-specific mortality of social assistance recipients in Norway: a register-based follow-up study. Scand J Public Health. 2009;37:820–5.PubMedCrossRef
40.
Tanskanen A, Tuomilehto J, Viinamaki H, Vartiainen E, Lehtonen J, Puska P. Joint heavy use of alcohol, cigarettes and coffee and the risk of suicide. Addiction. 2000;95(11):1699–704.PubMedCrossRef
41.
Iwasaki M, Akechi T, Uchitomi Y, Tsugane S. Cigarette smoking and completed suicide among middle-aged men: a population-based cohort study in Japan. Ann Epidemiol. 2005;15:286–92.PubMedCrossRef
42.
Goodwin RD, Olfson M, Shea S, Lantigua RA, Carrasquilo O, Gameroff MJ, et al. Asthma and mental disorders in primary care. Gen Hosp Psychiatr. 2003;25(6):479–83.CrossRef
43.
Goodwin RD, Marusic A, Hoven CW. Diabetes and suicidal ideation among youth in the community. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156(8):841.PubMed
44.
Goodwin RD, Marusic A. Asthma and suicidal ideation among youth in the community. Crisis. 2004;25(3):99–102.PubMedCrossRef
45.
•Christiansen E, Stenager E. Risk for attempted suicide in children and youths after contact with somatic hospitals: a Danish register based nested case-control study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010. doi:10.​1136/​jech.​2009.​103887. This study showed an association between contact with a hospital for asthma and SA.
46.
Alati R, O’Callaghan M, Najman JM, Williams GM, Bor W, Lawlor DA. Asthma and internalizing behavior problems in adolescence: a longitudinal study. Psychosom Med. 2005;67(3):462–70.PubMedCrossRef
47.
Goodwin RD, Buka SL. Childhood respiratory disease and the risk of anxiety disorder and major depression in adulthood. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(8):774–80.PubMedCrossRef
48.
Goodwin RD, Sourander A, Duarte CS, Niemela S, Multimaki P, Nikolakaros G, et al. Do mental health problems in childhood predict chronic physical conditions among males in early adulthood? Evidence from a community-based prospective study. Psychol Med. 2009;39(2):301–11.PubMedCrossRef
49.
Katon W, Lin EH, Kroenke K. The association of depression and anxiety with medical symptom burden in patients with chronic medical illness. Gen Hosp Psychiatr. 2007;29(2):147–55.CrossRef
50.
Hasler G, Gergen PJ, Kleinbaum DG, Ajdacic V, Gamma A, Eich D, et al. Asthma and panic in young adults: a 20-year prospective community study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005;171(11):1224–30.PubMedCrossRef
51.
Romans SE, Gendall KA, Martin JL, Mullen PE. Child sexual abuse and later disordered eating: a New Zealand epidemiological study. Int J Eat Disord. 2001;29(4):380–92.PubMedCrossRef
52.
Ford E, Clark C, Stansfeld SA. The influence of childhood adversity on social relations and mental health at mid-life. J Affect Disord. 2011;133(1–2):320–7.PubMedCrossRef
53.
Benjet C, Borges G, Medina-Mora ME. Chronic childhood adversity and onset of psychopathology during three life stages: childhood, adolescence and adulthood. J Psychiatr Res. 2010;44(11):732–40.PubMedCrossRef
54.
Grover RL, Ginsburg GS, Ialongo N. Childhood predictors of anxiety symptoms: a longitudinal study. Child Psychiatr Hum Dev. 2005;36(2):133–53.CrossRef
55.
Kessler RC, Davis CG, Kendler KS. Childhood adversity and adult psychiatric disorder in the US National Comorbidity Survey. Psychol Med. 1997;27(5):1101–19.PubMedCrossRef
56.
Glover AT, Shaw SM, Williams SG, Fildes JE. Can inflammation be an independent predictor of depression? Brain Behav Immun. 2010;24(2):173. author reply 4–5.PubMedCrossRef
57.
Halder I, Marsland A, Cheong J, Muldoon M, Ferrell R, Manuck S. Polymorphisms in the CRP gene moderate an association between depressive symptoms and circulating levels of C-reactive protein. Brain Behav Immun. 2010;24(1):160–7.PubMedCrossRef
58.
59.
Miller AH, Maletic V, Raison CL. Inflammation and its discontents: the role of cytokines in the pathophysiology of major depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2009;65(9):732–41.PubMedCrossRef
60.
Pace TW, Miller AH. Cytokines and glucocorticoid receptor signaling. Relevance to major depression. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009;1179:86–105.PubMedCrossRef
61.
Su S, Zhao J, Bremner J, Miller A, Tang W, Bouzyk M, et al. Serotonin transporter gene, depressive symptoms, and interleukin-6. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2009;2(6):614–20.PubMedCrossRef
62.
Fawcett J, Scheftner W, Clark D, Hedeker D, Gibbons R, Coryell W. Clinical predictors of suicide in patients with major affective disorders: a controlled prospective study. Am J Psychiatry. 1987;144(1):35–40.PubMed
63.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 1994.
64.
Philip G, Hustad C, Noonan G, Malice MP, Ezekowitz A, Reiss TF, et al. Reports of suicidality in clinical trials of montelukast. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;124(4):691–6 e6.PubMedCrossRef
65.
Sahoo RC, Acharya PR, Noushad TH, Anand R, Acharya VK, Sahu KR. A study of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in bronchial asthma. Indian J Chest Dis Allied Sci. 2009;51(4):213–6.PubMed
66.
Metadata
Title
Asthma and Suicide: Current Knowledge and Future Directions
Author
Renee D. Goodwin
Publication date
01-02-2012
Publisher
Current Science Inc.
Published in
Current Psychiatry Reports / Issue 1/2012
Print ISSN: 1523-3812
Electronic ISSN: 1535-1645
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-011-0243-x

Other articles of this Issue 1/2012

Current Psychiatry Reports 1/2012 Go to the issue

MEDICOPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (WJ KATON, SECTION EDITOR)

Is There a High-Risk Subtype of Depression in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease?

PERSONALITY DISORDERS (H KOENIGSBERG, SECTION EDITOR)

Suicidal Risk and Management in Borderline Personality Disorder

PERSONALITY DISORDERS (H KOENIGSBERG, SECTION EDITOR)

Developmental Pathways to Borderline Personality Disorder

MEDICOPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (WJ KATON, SECTION EDITOR)

Depression and Mortality in End-Stage Renal Disease

MEDICOPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (WJ KATON, SECTION EDITOR)

Psychosocial Care in Cancer

MEDICOPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (WJ KATON, SECTION EDITOR)

A Review of the Association Between Depression and Insulin Resistance: Pitfalls of Secondary Analyses or a Promising New Approach to Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes?