Association of atopic dermatitis with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: A case-control study in the All of Us Research Program

Abstract

Abstract Atopic dermatitis (AD) has been previously associated with mental health comorbidities, but studies investigating the relationship between AD and schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder have been limited. Using electronic health record data from the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program (AoURP), we conducted a case-control study comparing rates of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder among patients with AD and matched controls. Among 240,635 participants, we identified 13,433 AD cases and 53,732 controls matched to age, sex, and race/ethnicity. When compared to controls, patients with AD were more likely to have a diagnosis of schizophrenia (2.0% vs. 1.1%, P < 0.001) or schizoaffective disorder (1.8% vs. 0.5%, P < 0.001). AD remained significantly associated with schizophrenia (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.39–1.93) and schizoaffective disorder (OR 2.44, 95% CI 2.01–2.97) in multivariable analyses that adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, smoking status, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Further study is warranted to better understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms behind the relationship between AD and schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.