ABSTRACT
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a common, long-term skin disease associated with high levels of psychological distress and a considerable adverse impact on life. The effects of psoriasis, beyond skin affliction, are seldom recognized and often undertreated. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the quality of life, anxiety and depression, self-esteem and loneliness in patients with psoriasis. METHODS: Eighty-four patients with psoriasis were enrolled in the study. The quality of life, depression and anxiety, loneliness and self-esteem of the patient were assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the UCLA loneliness Scale (UCLA-Version 3) and Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale, respectively. RESULTS: The Dermatology Quality of Life Index score among psoriasis patients was 12.61 ± 4.88. They had statistically significantly higher scores according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale -anxiety subscale (p=0.032)-compared with healthy volunteers. Moreover, a statistically significant difference was found between the two groups concerning the UCLA-scale (p=0.033) and RSES-scale (p<0.0001). Female patients presented with lower self-esteem than male patients. CONCLUSION: Psoriasis is a distressing, recurrent disorder that significantly impairs quality of life. Therefore, the recognition and future management of psoriasis may require the involvement of multi-disciplinary teams to manage the physical, psychological and social aspects of the condition, as is the case for systemic, long-term conditions.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Anxiety/psychology , Depression/psychology , Loneliness/psychology , Psoriasis/psychology , Quality of Life/psychology , Self Concept , Case-Control Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Greece , Psychological Tests , Severity of Illness Index , Sex Factors , Sickness Impact Profile , Social Isolation , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Aims: There is an increased interest in the psychosocial impact of pediatric skin diseases on children and their families. The present study tried to examine possible differences regarding mental health problems among children with alopecia areata (AA) or atopic dermatitis (AD), and their parents. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Dermatology, “Penteli” Children’s Hospital and Department of Dermatology, Athens University Medical School, “Andreas Syggros” Hospital, Athens, Greece, between February 2004 and February 2009. Methodology: Parents of 51 pediatric outpatients (54.9% boys) with a diagnosis of either AD or AA (mean age = 8.0 ± 1.8 years) and a control group of 12 children and their parents completed the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Differences among AA, AD, and the control group were examined. Results: Both AA and AD groups had significantly (P < .001) higher mean values across several CBCL scales compared to healthy controls. However, the controls seemed to exhibit less mental health symptoms than the normative Greek samples, a finding reducing the value of the control group. Children’s Anxious/Depressed, Withdrawn, Somatic complaints and Social problems had significantly higher mean values in the AA group compared to the AD group. Parental mental health symptoms did not differ significantly between the two disease groups, but they were significantly higher in patient groups compared to control group. Conclusion: Children’s and parents’ mental health symptoms may be important targets of thorough assessment and treatment among pediatric AD and AA populations.