Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis

Ryu, Jeong Ho; Kim, Kwang Ho; Kim, Kwang Joong; Kim, Se Joo

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Quality of life is a broad concept that incorporates all aspects of an individual's existence. Psoriasis is a chronic relapsing disease of the skin and may produce a range of quality of life impacts, as complex as those from a more debilitating and life-threatening disease. However, the association between quality of life in psoriasis patients and their clinical characteristics has not yet been investigated in Korea. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare the quality of life in patients with psoriasis and healthy controls by using the WHO Quality of Life (QOL) Scale. This evaluates the domains of physical health, psychological health, social relationship and the environment, to assess the quality of life in patients with psoriasis by using the generic (WHOQOL) and dermatology-specific questionnaires (Skindex-29). The relationship between their quality of life and their clinical characteristics, comprising; onset, sex, age, education, duration of symptoms, severity, stress, anxiety and depression will be investigated. METHODS: Seventy one patients with psoriasis and twenty nine healthy controls were recruited in this study all of whom completed the WHOQOL Scale. The total scores and the scores of the domains of the WHOQOL Scale in both groups were compared. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed to examine the relationship between quality of life and the clinical characteristics in patients with psoriasis. RESULTS: The total WHOQOL scores and all domain scores, except those of the environmental domain, of the WHOQOL scale in patients with psoriasis were lower than those of the healthy controls. scores for the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Psoriasis Life Stress Inventory (PLSI) were all high. The high self reported severity, long duration, high PASI score and low education levels all showed significant correlation with low QOL. Of these characteristics, the BDI, BAI, PASI, and the self reported severity showed strong association with QOL. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed the BDI score, PLSI score, and education level were influencing factors on QOL scores. CONCLUSION: The quality of life in patients with psoriasis was poorer than that of the healthy controls. The association between QOL and the self reported severity was stronger than the QOL and the PASI score. The severity of depression and stress were the most important predictors on QOL