Depression and allergies: survey of a nonclinical population

The possible association between depression and type I allergies (i.e. immunoglobulin E-mediated hay fever, asthma, eczema, hives) was examined in a nonclinical sample of 379 college students. Measures included self-reports of depression, tiredness, fearfulness, allergic disorders, and environmental allergens and irritants. Seventy-one percent of the subjects who had ever received a professional diagnosis of depression also indicated a history of allergy: those with greater self-rated current depression overall reported a significantly higher prevalence of asthma (p less than 0.05). Type I allergic (43%) and nonallergic subjects did not differ in self-rated frequency of depression, fatigue, or anxiety. However, type I subjects reported significantly worse mood after the flu than did nonallergic subjects (p less than 0.001). The data support the hypothesis that individuals prone to clinical depression have more allergies than nondepressives. Allergics may experience more postflu mood worsening but not current depression in comparison with nonallergics.