Korean J Dermatol.  2015 Nov;53(9):671-676.

Quality of Life and Psychiatric Symptoms in School-aged Children with Atopic Dermatitis

• Seong JY
• Lee JH
• Bhang SY
• Choi YS
• Suh HS

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Atopic dermatitis (AD) in school-aged children may affect their daily activities and psychological well-being. It can also have a negative impact on the child's behavior. Little is known about the quality of life (QOL) and psychiatric symptoms in school-aged children and their relationship to disease severity.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to document the impact of AD on QOL and psychiatric symptoms in school-aged children by disease severity.
METHODS
Seventy-eight AD patients aged 7approximately19 years were included in this study. Participants completed the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI), Kovacs' Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the Korean Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale (K-ARS). Disease severity was evaluated using the SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) index.
RESULTS
The SCORAD was 28.95+/-17.92 (mean+/-SD), and the CDLQI was 8.04+/-6.29. The CDLQI was significantly correlated with the SCORAD. Psychiatric symptoms (CDI and K-ARS) did not show a correlation with the SCORAD, but they worsened with increasing CDLQI score. There was no statistically significant difference among the different age groups.
CONCLUSION
We demonstrated that AD had an impact on school-aged children's QOL and psychological well-being. Severity of AD correlated with QOL decrements, indicating greater QOL impact with greater disease severity. Psychiatric symptoms were more related to subjective impairment of QOL than objective disease severity.

Keyword

Atopic dermatitis; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); Children's dermatology life quality index (CDLQI); Depression; Quality of life

MeSH Terms

Child*
Depression
Dermatitis, Atopic*
Dermatology
Humans
Quality of Life*