The Level of Stigmatization and Depression of Patients with Psoriasis

As a chronic skin condition characterized by periods of remission and recurrence and the necessity for long-term treatment, psoriasis significantly affects the patients' quality of life (1). This negatively affects the everyday functioning of psoriatic patients who frequently feel excluded and have decreased self-image and self-esteem, reflected by their impression of being stigmatized (2). This situation leads to psychological problems and frequently serves as a secondary source of stress, which in turn can cause depression. Some previous studies revealed that the prevalence of depres-sive and anxiety disorders among psoriatic patients is higher than among the general population, or individuals with other dermatological conditions (3-5). The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of demographic variables on the psychological status and level of stigmatization of patients with psoria-sis. The study included 202 patients with psoriasis. The inclusion criteria of the study were: confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis (PASI ≤ 20), at least 2-yr duration of the disease, age above 18 yr, and lack of other somatic and mental disorders. The level of stigmatization of patients was examined with the Polish adaptation of the 6-item scale developed by Dr. Andrea Evers et al. The patients' psychological status was determined with Beck Depression Inventory, and their demographic characteristics were collected with our original questionnaire. The study protocol was approved by the Local Bi-oethical Committee at the Medical University of Białystok. The average global score of the 6-item scale for the whole study group amounted to 7.12 and did not exceed the half of the maximum available score. As 0 points on this scale is interpreted as lack of stigmatization and 18 points as severe stigmatization, it can be assumed that although our participants did not display high levels of stigmatization, they were not completely absent. The average gender-specific values of the global score amounted to 6.88 and 7.37 for men and women, respectively. The significant difference in the global stigmatization levels, corresponding to nearly 3 points, was documented between the town/city-and countryside-dwellers (5.67 vs. 8.57). However, the most pronounced differences in stigmatization (corresponding to 6.80 points) were associated with professional activity-pu-pils/students (11.40) while pensioners and physical workers scored the lowest (4.60 and 4.80 respectively).