Evaluation of a Possible Association Between Severity of Allergic Rhinitis and the Level of Depression in Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common diseases in the world. It affects all people irrespective of age, sex and race. Allergic rhinitis leads to the development of social and interpersonal problems and loss of productivity which in turn causes depression. The depression was an underestimated iceberg phenomenon in allergic rhinitis patients. Objective The study evaluates the association between the severity of allergic rhinitis and the level of depression in patients attending tertiary care hospitals in south India. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 patients with allergic rhinitis. All the patients were subjected to the semi-structured questionnaire. And the severity of allergic rhinitis has been made based on the allergic rhinitis, and its impact on asthma classification and depression has been diagnosed and classified based on the Hamilton depression rating scale. And the association between allergic rhinitis and depression has been evaluated with the chi-square test. Results Two hundred fifty patients participated in the study, with a mean age of 33+/-2. Surprisingly the prevalence of depression among the allergic rhinitis patient was 88%. Most of them suffered from mild depression based on the Hamilton depression rating scale. A significant association was seen among allergic patients with age, gender, smoking status, locality, socioeconomic status, and co-morbidities. And the study shows the severity of allergic rhinitis is directly related to the severity of depression with a significant association. Conclusion Depression is one of the underestimated and under-treated problems in today's world. This study concludes that the severity of allergic rhinitis directly and significantly correlates with the severity of depression. The prevalence and intensity of depression should be evaluated and appropriately treated in patients with allergic rhinitis to improve the quality of life.