Exploring associations between asthma and mental health disorders

Asthma is a very common lung condition. In the UK, 7.2 million people have asthma. This is about 8 in every 100 people.

We know that there are some associations between asthma and mental health disorders. However, we don’t fully understand why these associations exist.

Furthermore, these associations may be different in patients with different types of asthma, though this requires further investigation.

This project will build on previous research. We will investigate the relationship between asthma and mental health by:

• Using updated genetic information
• Applying alternative study designs
• Focusing on asthma subgroups

Project aims

Our project aims to explore the association between eosinophilic/non-eosinophilic asthma and a range of mental health conditions.

Eosinophilic asthma is caused by high levels of blood cells called eosinophils in the airways. These blood cells cause inflammation.

Non-eosinophilic asthma is a type of asthma associated with low levels of eosinophils in the airways. It is often more severe and can be linked to smoking or obesity.

What we hope to achieve

Developing a deeper understanding of the links between asthma and mental health conditions could be the first step to the development of interventions for patients living with both disorders in the future.