A meta-analysis of the prevalence and risk of mental health problems in allergic rhinitis patients

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research 2024-09, Vol.184, p.111813, Article 111813
• Main Authors: Safia, Alaa, Elhadi, Uday Abd, Karam, Marwan, Merchavy, Shlomo, Khater, Ashraf
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - psychology; COVID-19; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental Health; Nose diseases; Prevalence; Rhinitis; Rhinitis, Allergic - epidemiology; Rhinitis, Allergic - psychology; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - epidemiology; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - psychology; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Sleep Wake Disorders - psychology; Stress, Psychological - complications; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Suicidal Ideation
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111813

Allergic rhinitis (AR), a prevalent global health concern, is increasingly recognized for its impact beyond physical symptoms, affecting mental health. This research examined the extent of AR's psychological burden and sleep disturbances. A systematic search of four databases yielded 49 studies reporting mental health problems in 18,269,265 individuals (15,151,322 AR patients and 3,117,943 controls). The primary outcomes included all mental health problems in AR patients. Subgroup analyses based on outcome and AR severity, country, AR diagnosis, recruitment setting, and age were performed. Secondary outcomes included the risk of these problems compared to controls (healthy or without AR). In AR, depression (25%), anxiety (25%), stress (65%), distress (57%), suicidal thoughts (14%) and attempts (4%), poor sleep quality (48%), insomnia (36%), sleep impairment (33%), and insufficient sleep duration