Anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with psoriasis

Abstract

Introduction

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects approximately 2% of the population. It seems to have a multifactorial aetiology and it can be considered as a psychosomatic disorder.

Objectives

To determine risk factors for anxiety and depression in psoriasis

Methods

Case-control study including 44 subjects with psoriasis and 50 controls without psoriasis. All participants answered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to measure the severity of anxiety and depression

Results

Descriptive study: We solicited 44 patients and the average age was 45.8 years. The majority of patients were married (70.5%), unemployed (40.5%), without medical heredity (84,6%). Psoriasis was in plaque (65.9%), guttate (20.5%), pustular (13.6.5%).Its severity, assessed by BSA, was mild to moderate in 72.7% of cases and associated arthropathy was noted in 29.5% of patients.the prevalences of anxiety and depression estimated at 29.54% and 18.18% respectively. Analytical study: Subjects with psoriasis, as opposed to controls, showed higher levels of anxiety (29,54% vs 15,9%) and depression (18,18% vs 4,54%) but there was no significant difference (p=0,335, p=0,573) Depression was significantly more important for single (p=0.043), for patients with associated arthropathy (=0.005) and for guttate form (p=0.015) According to the severity of the disease: patients with mild disease are more anxious and patients with severe disease are more depressed

Conclusions

Higher scores in anxiety and depression is common in psoriasis. Dermatologists should give special attention to this subgroup of persons with psoriasis in order to prevent future psychopathology.