Stress and Quality of Life in Psoriasis

Abstract

Introduction Psoriasis is a common dermatological disorder characterized by silvery-white, scaly, and erythematous plaques with or without pruritus. It is an immensely stressful condition, hampering the quality of life with significant psychological morbidity. Objective To assess the level of stress and quality of life among the patients with psoriasis. Methods A nonexperimental descriptive study design was used. Sixty participants were enrolled from Dermatology OPD, PGIMER, Chandigarh, by a purposive sampling technique during October to January 2021. An interview schedule, comprising (a) sociodemographic and clinical profile, (b) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), (c) Patient Health Questionnaire-4 to assess anxiety (PHQ-4), (d) Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to assess depression (PHQ-9), (e) Patient Global Assessment (PtGA) Scale to assess severity of illness (PtGA), and (f) Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), was used for data collection. Data were collected by a telephonic interview as per the interview schedule. At the end of the interview, patients were asked to send the pictures of affected body parts, which were then assessed by the dermatologist using the Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) Scale. Data analysis was done with descriptive and inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23). Results Most of (86.7%) the participants reported a moderate level of stress (PSS) and 65% described moderate effect on the quality of life. The assessment of the severity of illness on IGA depicted that 36.7% of participants had mild, 28.3% had moderate, and 26.7% had severe psoriasis. Mild to moderate depression (PHQ-9) was screened in about 25% of the participants. A significant correlation was found between stress, quality of life, anxiety, and depression (<0.001). The severity of psoriasis was significantly correlated with quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion The study results concluded that the presence of a significant level of stress has a considerable effect on the quality of life among the patients with psoriasis. Thus, it is recommended to assess and address the psychological issues along with medical management for the comprehensive management of patients with psoriasis.