A STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITIES ASSOCIATED WITH DERMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background:

The association between dermatological diseases & psychiatric disorders has long been known. Some of the dermatological conditions have an impact on the quality of day to day life daily and self-confidence, and may be associated with psychiatric comorbidities like anxiety, depression and other psychosocial problems. Among various dermatological diseases, the ones that are commonly associated with psychiatric comorbidities are psoriasis vulgaris, acne vulgaris, alopecia areata, chronic urticaria and vitiligo.

Methods:

It is a tertiary hospital-based cross-sectional study done over a period of 18 months. HAM-A & HAM-D scales were used for screening of anxiety and depression respectively. This study was done to find the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients with chronic dermatological conditions such as psoriasis vulgaris, acne vulgaris, alopecia areata, chronic urticaria and vitiligo, and to study the demographic characteristics among those patients.

Results:

In our study, the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity associated with dermatological disorders was 39%. The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity associated with dermatological conditions in a descending order is Vitiligo (27%), Acne vulgaris (25%), Alopecia areata (18%), Psoriasis (15%) & Chronic urticaria (15%).

Conclusion:

The psychiatric morbidity of 39% indicates that the need for early psychiatric treatment intervention along with the management of chronic dermatological conditions.