Asthma and suicidal behavior in adolescents: a literature review

Background: Adolescence is a difficult time in life and asthma has major psychological consequences for adolescents.

Objective: This systematic literature review focused on the association between asthma and suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideations [SI], suicide plans [SP] and suicide attempts [SA]) among adolescents in the general population.

Methods: Research on Medline for the 1980-2021 period. Objectives This systematic literature review focused on the association between asthma and suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideations [SI], suicide plans [SP] and suicide attempts [SA]) among adolescents in the general population.

Results: An overwhelming majority of the studies taken into consideration demonstrated a significant positive association between asthma and suicidal behaviors. Among the 10 studies assessing SI (with or without SP), 9 of them found a significant positive association between asthma and SI. Eight studies assessed SA; five cross-sectional studies and one prospective study demonstrated a significant positive association between asthma and SA. Only one case-control study did not find a significant positive association between asthma and SA after hospitalization for asthma. The two cross-sectional studies assessing suicidal risk taken as a whole (SI, SP and SA) demonstrated a significant positive association between asthma and at least one suicidal behavior. (OR=1.71; P<0.001). However, several studies did not include depression as an adjustment factor.

Conclusions: It is important that healthcare professionals assess suicide risk in adolescent suffering from asthma, the objective being to avoid SA or death from SA.