Regional distribution of psoriasis in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic disease affecting skin and joints; the prevalence varies considerably within ethnic groups and countries. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of psoriasis across Italy and to identify regional differences. METHODS: The study was conducted in February 2006. A questionnaire was created to survey the prevalence and the geographical distribution of psoriasis in Italy. A representative sample of 3500 families from the contiguous 20 Italian regions was interviewed by a telematic panel. RESULTS: A total of 4109 individuals were interviewed. The research showed that 2.9% of Italians declared suffering from psoriasis (regional range: 0.8-4.5%); that 52% knew somebody with psoriasis; that 33% knew well the meaning of psoriasis; and that 31% of individuals affected from psoriasis defined the effect on quality of life as high. CONCLUSION: In association with the socio-cultural data, this is the first study describing the variation in prevalence of psoriasis among Italian regions.

Depression in the Italian community: epidemiology and socio-economic implications.

A survey on the 6-month prevalence of depression in the Italian community was performed using the modified-Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) administered with a computer-prompted interview to a panel of 5566 individuals, which aimed to validate the results of a previous similar survey and evaluate the socio-economic consequences of the illness. Prevalence of major depression and minor depression accounted for 10.8% and 3.3% of the cases, respectively, thus confirming the previous results (8.0% and 2.9%, respectively). Major depression was 1.4-fold more prevalent in females compared to males, while minor depression was 2.6-fold more prevalent in males, thus confirming the previous results (1.3% and 1.6%, respectively). The majority of subjects of all MINI depression categories, including major depression (62.7% versus 83.9% of the minor depression and 82.3% of the depressive symptoms subjects), did not consult any healthcare professional with respect to their symptoms. Among the major depression subjects undergoing medical consultation, 34.2% of were not prescribed any therapy or intervention, while only 36.8% reportedly started a drug therapy (22.3% with an antidepressant). More than twice as many major depression subjects had at least three physician visits and drug therapies and more than three-fold as many had at least four instrumental examinations in the preceding 6 months compared to no depression subjects. Loss of work or global activity longer than 1 week was reported by approximately four-fold as many major depression subjects compared to no depression subjects. These results provide evidence for a higher frequency of under-recognition of depression as a medical illness in Italy compared to other European countries, while confirming the evidence from other countries on the small proportion of subjects with disabling symptoms who receive treatment, particularly specific treatment with antidepressants, and on the direct relationship between the impairment induced by the depressive symptoms and global healthcare resources use, as well as of work and activity days lost.

Depression in the community: results of the first Italian survey.

The 6-month prevalence of depression in the Italian community was evaluated by means of the modified-Mini-International-Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) administered with a computer-prompted interview to a representative panel of 3550 individuals. Major depression and minor depression accounted for 8.0% and 2.9% of the cases, respectively. Major depression was 1.3 times as prevalent in females (compared to males), while minor depression was 1.6 times as prevalent in males. Prevalence of major depression was maximal (11.9%) in subjects aged 30-49 years, and minimal (4.1%) in subjects aged 60 years or older. These results confirm prevalence figures for depression in the community reported with the modified-MINI for other European countries, and support the use of telematic data acquisition for health-related general population surveys.