People with psoriasis, a serious inflammatory skin disease, have an increased risk of depression, anxiety and suicide, according to a study published in the August issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
Psoriasis is a non-infectious, chronic inflammatory skin disease. It suffers from 2-3 percent. people from the general population. It is characterized by reddish-brown lumps covered with silvery scales and excessive peeling of the epidermis. The lesions usually appear on the knees and elbows, around the sacrum, buttocks, scalp, feet and hands. Nails, joints (psoriatic arthritis) and, in the most severe form (erythrodermic), even the entire skin may also be affected.
More recently, attention has been paid to the inflammatory basis of the disease and its association with a higher risk of conditions such as hypertension, heart attack, as well as obesity and diabetes.
Psoriasis is also sometimes referred to as a disease of the body and soul, because due to the visible changes in the skin, people suffering from it have to deal with severe stress, a sense of otherness and shame, and often social rejection. This may be contributing to a higher incidence of mental health problems, according to the latest research.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia analyzed data from British medical registers on over 146 patients with mild psoriasis, almost 4 thousand. patients with its serious form and over 760 thousand. people without psoriasis. For one psoriasis patient, there were five people who were admitted to the same medical facility at about the same time.
It found that people suffering from this serious condition had 39 percent. higher risk of depression, by 31 percent. – the emergence of anxiety disorders and 44 percent – suicidal thoughts compared to the control group. Patients with severe psoriasis increased the risk of depression by 72%. The increased risk of all these disorders was visible especially in the group of younger patients.
Based on these data and the prevalence of psoriasis, researchers estimate that more than 10 people are diagnosed in the UK each year. cases of depression, over 7 thousand anxiety disorders and 350 related suicide attempts.
According to the authors of the study, it is very important to identify patients with these problems, because – as recent studies have shown – the presence of mental disorders may adversely affect the effectiveness of some psoriasis treatments, e.g. photochemotherapy, and improving the symptoms of the disease is the key to alleviating mental ailments. There are many effective treatments for depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies, scientists emphasize, both in drugs and non-pharmacological therapies. (PAP)