Mental Health and Sleep Outcomes Among Patients Diagnosed With Chronic Cough

OTO Open. 2026 Aug 26;10(3):e70291. doi: 10.1002/oto2.70291. eCollection 2026 Jul-Sep.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Chronic cough is a complex, multi-factorial condition. Past studies have associated chronic cough with a degraded quality of life, namely related to psychological and sleep outcomes. We investigated the association between chronic cough and later diagnosis with mental health and sleep disorders using a large database.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SETTING: TriNetX research database.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using the TriNetX research database. Patients aged ≥18 years with chronic cough diagnosed from 2008 to 2018 and no recent history of mental health or sleep disorders were included and compared to a matched control cohort. Primary outcomes were 5-year diagnoses with sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety. Secondary outcomes included rates of interaction with the healthcare system, other mental health diagnoses, and usage of psychological medications and sleep devices.

RESULTS: Of 65,442 included patients with chronic cough, mean age was 54.5 ± 15.3 and patients were 60.8% female, 75.2% white, and 86.5% not Hispanic/Latino. After demographic matching, patients with chronic cough had significantly higher rates of smoking, obesity, asthma, and GERD. Patients were at significantly higher risks of developing sleep disorders (RR 1.58, P < .01), mental health diagnoses (RR 1.33, P < .01), and receiving anti-reflux, antidepressant, and CPAP treatments (P < .01 for all).

CONCLUSION: Chronic cough diagnosis is associated with increased risk of later development of anxiety, depression, and disordered sleep. This is the largest study to date examining the burden of chronic cough alongside associated outcomes. Future studies will further investigate these associations and investigate improved patient care models.

PMID:42657190 | PMC:PMC13512043 | DOI:10.1002/oto2.70291