ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2004 June;139(3):181-93

Copyright © 2004 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Psychological distress in dermatology: from depression to quality of life

Colonna F., Soro E., Addese C., Quaranta L., Dapavo P., Pippione M.

2nd Dermatologic Clinic University of Turin, Turin, Italy

Aim. This clinical observational study assessed psychological distress and quality of life in dermatology patients admitted to or treated on a day-hospital basis at our department.
Methods. Based on specific criteria, 70 subjects (35 men, 35 women; mean age, 49 years) were selected from patients with common skin disorders (psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, prurigo, chronic urticaria) considered sufficiently representative of the general category dermatological patient. Self-administered rating scales (STAI Y1-Y2, ZDRS, MOCQ, IBQ, BCS, EPI, SF-36) were used to measure various psychopathological parameters, comprising: anxiety, depression, obsession/compulsion, illness behavior, body image, personality traits, quality of life.
Results. The parameters indicated significantly pathological values, particularly for the women patients. The comparison between the quality of life of the study subjects, as measured with the SF-36 questionnaire, and that of patient groups with other chronic organic diseases of substantial social impact showed significant differences in the management of psychological distress as regarded psychopathological manifestations and lifestyle.
Conclusion. The quality of life of the dermatological patients was found to be impaired not only by the underlying organic disease but also by the altered psychological conditions that may be potential predisposing or precipitating factors for the skin disorders considered in this study.