A large study of over 5,700 U.S. adults found that depression and anxiety significantly worsen quality of life among people with asthma, with nearly one-third experiencing at least one of the two health conditions. Researchers recommend routine mental health screenings as part of standard asthma care to improve treatment adherence and overall outcomes.
- Nearly one-third of participants with asthma also had depression (10.2%), anxiety (11.7%) or both (9.6%)
- Depression reduces medication adherence and motivation, while anxiety increases symptom fear and distress, both worsening asthma control
- Researchers recommend routine mental health screenings using brief tools like PHQ-2 and GAD-2 as part of comprehensive asthma care
Depression and anxiety significantly worsen quality of life among U.S. adults living with asthma. That’s according to the paper, “Mental Health Comorbidity and Health-Related Quality of Life Among U.S. Adults with Asthma: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.” Published in Patient Preference and Adherence, the study advocates for routine mental health assessments as part of comprehensive asthma care.
Findings from the study reported that patients who experience both depression and anxiety face the greatest challenges. Researchers analyzed data from 5,743 adults with asthma participating in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) between 2017 and 2022. Participants were grouped into four categories: asthma alone, asthma with depression, asthma with anxiety and asthma with both depression and anxiety. Investigators measured health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12), which evaluates both physical and mental health outcomes.
The study found that nearly one-third of participants with asthma had at least one mental health condition. Of the total, 10.2% had depression, 11.7% had anxiety and 9.6% experienced both conditions. Individuals with asthma alone reported the highest quality-of-life scores, while those with both depression and anxiety recorded the lowest physical and mental health scores. Researchers adjusted their analysis for demographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors.
The findings reinforce growing evidence that asthma management extends beyond respiratory symptom control, authors noted. Depression may affect asthma outcomes through reduced motivation and poorer medication adherence, they said, while anxiety can increase symptom vigilance and fear of exacerbations and contribute to heightened distress and diminished well-being.
The study’s authors argued that routine mental health screenings should be considered as part of standard asthma care. Early identification of depression and anxiety could support timely referrals and interventions, they said, potentially improving treatment adherence, disease control, patient engagement and overall quality of life. They recommended the use of brief screening tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2).
Although the study leveraged a large, nationally representative sample and validated quality-of-life measures, researchers cautioned that its cross-sectional design does not establish cause-and-effect relationships.
