BackgroundThe risk factors for depression in asthma are still unclear. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with depression in asthmatic individuals.MethodsWe used data from the 2005–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for depression and calculate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsA total of 5,379 asthmatic participants were included. Of these subjects, 767 individuals had depression, and 4,612 individuals had no depression. Univariate analysis and multivariate analyses suggested that asthmatic individuals with smoking (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.19–3.29), hypertension (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.48–5.04), and arthritis (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.53–5.22) were more likely to have depression. Asthmatic individuals who had more than a high school education had lower depression risk than those with less than a high school education (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.30–0.99). Increasing age was also associated with decreased depression risk (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95–0.99).ConclusionsDepression was more likely in asthmatic individuals with smoking, hypertension, and arthritis and less likely in individuals with higher education and increasing age. These findings could improve the identification of target populations for effective interventions to improve the mental health of asthmatic individuals.