Lee BR, et al. Immune Netw. 2021 Nov;22(2):e17. https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e17

Jeong HI, et al. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2021 Sep;13(5):791-798. https://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2021.13.5.791

Cho H, et al. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2024 Mar;16(2):154-167. https://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2024.16.2.154

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent allergic disease in children that often causes sleep disturbance and which is associated with diminished quality of life and heightened susceptibility to depression and suicidality. In this study, we investigate the relationship between weekend catch-up sleep (WCUS) and mental health in a sample of 71,434 adolescents with AD and 221,057 without AD using multivariate logistic regression analysis. We hypothesized that adolescents with AD experience shorter total and daytime sleep due to pruritus, with compensatory longer WCUS. We found that the lifetime prevalence of AD was 24.4%, and that adolescents with AD slept less overall, with significantly shorter weekday and weekend sleep durations but longer weekend catch-up sleep (WCUS). Sleep dissatisfaction was markedly higher in the AD group. Interestingly, our results suggest that prolonged WCUS is a protective factor against suicidal ideation in adolescents with AD. The study highlights the importance of addressing sleep patterns in adolescents with AD to enhance mental health. Overall, our findings indicate a need for increased awareness and intervention strategies to ensure sufficient sleep and reduce the risk of suicidal ideation in this population.

Jung M, et al. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2024 Mar;16(2):202-210. https://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2024.16.2.202

Background/Objectives: A medical–government conflict in South Korea in 2024 led to the collective resignation of resident physicians, causing severe workforce shortages in tertiary hospitals. This study aimed to investigate temporal changes in stress, anxiety, and depression among healthcare workers during this conflict following the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 56,137 adults who completed validated questionnaires on stress (KNHANES), anxiety (Clinically Useful Anxiety Outcome Scale, CUXOS), and depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, CES-D) between January 2019 and February 2025 at Samsung Changwon Hospital. Temporal trends were assessed using linear mixed-effects models adjusted for demographic variables. Results: Among attending physicians, stress increased by 1.44 points in the post-COVID period (p < 0.001) and 1.17 points during the conflict (p = 0.006), while anxiety increased by 1.25 (p = 0.012) and 1.36 points (p = 0.013), respectively. The most vulnerable subgroups were women, those aged 30–40 years, and physicians with <5 years of service. Depression increased significantly among physicians in their 40s during the post-COVID period (p = 0.018). Nurses demonstrated a significant reduction in stress during the conflict (−0.91, p = 0.002), possibly reflecting a temporary decrease in direct clinical workload, whereas office workers showed continuous increases in depression (+1.66 post-COVID, p = 0.003; +1.74 conflict, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The psychological effects of systemic crises differed by occupation. Attending physicians, who bore the greatest clinical and organizational burden, experienced persistent psychological strain during the medical–government conflict following post-pandemic stress. Tailored, occupation-specific strategies are required to protect healthcare workers’ mental health during future systemic disruptions.