Co-morbid anxiety and depression in childhood asthma and its effect on symptom control: A cross sectional study

Background Anxiety and depression are co-morbidities that affect symptom control in children with asthma and are often overlooked in busy practice. Objectives To find out the proportion of children with asthma who have co-morbid anxiety and depression, to study the association of co-morbid anxiety and depression on symptom control and to study the clinic-sociodemographic factors associated with anxiety and depression in children with asthma. Methods Assuming 13% prevalence of anxiety and depression, with 95% confidence level and 5% absolute precision, a total of 176 children with asthma aged 6 years and above were enrolled from the asthma clinic. Clinical and sociodemographic details were collected for all. Symptom control was assessed using asthma control test questionnaire. Center for epidemiological studies-depression scale for children and screen for child anxiety related emotional disorders was used to assess depression and anxiety, respectively. Association of independent variables with outcome variables was assessed using chi(2). Statistical tests were done using SPSS version 26. Results Out of the 176 children enrolled, 13.1%, 8%, and 16.5% had anxiety, depression, and combined anxiety and depression, respectively. A higher proportion of children with uncontrolled asthma had depression and combined anxiety and depression than children with controlled asthma. Conclusion Combined anxiety and depression was more common than either anxiety or depression alone and along with depression, was significantly associated with uncontrolled symptoms.

Automated summary

The study revealed that co-morbid anxiety and depression are common in children with asthma, and are significantly associated with poor symptom control.