Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2024 Oct;12(4):190-197. 10.4168/aard.2024.12.4.190.

Higher anxiety, stress, and suicidal behaviors in allergic adolescents: A Nationwide Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey 2022

• Lee MJ
• Park JS
• Suh DI

• KMID: 2560715
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2024.12.4.190

Abstract

Purpose
Allergic diseases are prevalent among adolescents, while mental health issues significantly contribute to their disease burden. This study investigated the relationship between the onset time points of specific allergic diseases and the prevalence of perceived mental health problems in adolescents.
Methods
We used data from the 2022 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) to examine the prevalence of allergic diseases and psychological issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors. Participants were classified into three groups: current (diagnosis within the past year), remote (previous but not current diagnosis), and never (no history of such diseases), where the prevalence of psychological issue was assessed and compared.
Results
Of the 51,850 respondents, 1.2% had current asthma, 16.7% allergic rhinitis, and 5.9% atopic dermatitis. Conversely, 94.3%, 64.7%, or 77.9% of the patients had never been diagnosed with these conditions, respectively. High stress was reported by 41.3% of the patients, substantial depression by 12.7% of the patients, and moderate-to-severe anxiety by 28.8% of the patients, with 14.2% of the patients contemplating suicide. Most of the allergic conditions and across the 3 onset time points, there were significant differences in the prevalence of mental health issues (namely, high stress, substantial depression, moderate-to-severe anxiety), as well as suicidal behaviors including suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts, with the highest prevalence in the current group and the lowest in the never group.
Conclusion
There may be a significant association between allergic diseases and mental health problems in adolescents. The prevalence of mental issues is the highest in those with current allergic diagnosis, suggesting a need for integrated care strategies.

Keyword

Adolescent; Allergic disease; Cross sectional survey; Currentness; Mental health