Psychological factors in psoriasis

This study compares the levels of anxiety, depression, alexithymia and stressful life events in 30 consecutive patients of psoriasis with equal number of age and sex matched normal controls, patients with fungal infections and patients with neurosis, Sinha's anxiety scale, Hamilton's depression rating scale, Toronto alexithymia scale and the presumptive stressful life events scale were used to measure anxiety, depression, alexithymia and stressful life events respectively Analysis revealed that patients with psoriasis were significantly more anxious and depressed, obtained significantly higher alexithymia scores and had significantly more stressful life events as compared to normal subjects and patients with fungal skin infection. Psoriatics were significantly less anxious and depressed as compared to neurosis patients. Six patients with psoriasis were dependent on alcohol. Measures to reduce anxiety and depression and reduction of alcohol intake will not only improve subjective wellbeing of psoriasis patients but may also prevent relapses.