Many faces of asthma behind risk of death by suicide

Published online October 15, 2024

Suicide is a tragic event that should be avoided and prevented. However, individuals with chronic pulmonary conditions, including asthma, are prone to this risk. Asthma is often linked to mental health challenges, which are known to increase the risk of suicide. Additionally, many aspects of asthma, such as obesity, smoking status, and comorbid conditions, may contribute to increasing the risk of death by suicide. Most past research on asthma and suicide only looked at snapshots in time and missed the bigger picture—especially how asthma connects with other well-known risk factors for suicide.

In a large national study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice by Kim and Lee et al., researchers analyzed data from over 3.9 million adults aged 20 and older, including around 300,000 people with asthma. They followed these people for about 12.3 years on average. The study focused on whether having asthma increases the risk of suicide and explored how other risk factors might interact with asthma.

During the study, 1,383 people with asthma (0.48%) died by suicide. The results showed that having asthma increases the risk of suicide by 26%. The risk was even higher for certain groups—61% higher for those frequently hospitalized, 37% higher for non-obese individuals, and 47% higher for those with both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The risk rose sharply for those who were underweight (154%) or had mental health conditions like schizophrenia (238%), depression (224%), anxiety (147%), and cancer (122%). These findings emphasize the need for healthcare providers to monitor mental health closely in asthma patients and integrate mental health support into their treatment plans.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice is an official journal of the AAAAI, focusing on practical information for the practicing clinician.

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