Effects of psychiatric comorbidity on respiratory drugs and health care utilization

Background: Psychiatric disorders are significant comorbid conditions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), however their effects on respiratory health care costs are still debated. Aim: To investigate the relationship between psychiatric comorbidity and respiratory health care costs in an epidemiological survey. Methods: 1354 subjects (mean age: 58.0yrs±18.0; 45.3% males) living in Pisa (Central Italy) participated in a cross-sectional study (2009-11) within the IMCA2(Indicators for Monitoring COPD and Asthma in the EU) project. An inter- viewer administered questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, respi- ratory symptoms/diseases, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), risk factors and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for smoking habits, age, sex, CVD, were used to evaluate association between respiratory drug, health care uti- lization and asthma/COPD with (AC+AD) or without anxiety/depression (AC); anxiety/depression without asthma/COPD (AD); neither anxiety/depression nor asthma/COPD (NN).