Skin diseases hit the mind

New study: Skin diseases hit the mind

01/28/2015

Chronic skin diseases make patients more susceptible to depression or anxiety disorders. This is now confirmed by a Europe-wide study that evaluated data from nearly 5,000 adult participants from 13 countries.

The investigation revealed that the dermatological patients had significantly more somatic comorbidities compared to the control groups. Every tenth patient with a skin condition also suffered from depression. In the control group, the proportion was only 4.5%. The highest rate of depression was in patients with leg ulcers followed by hand eczema.

According to the study, anxiety disorders accounted for 17.2% of participants with skin diseases; in the control group, the proportion was only 11.1%. Patients with dermatological conditions also reported more suicidal thoughts (12.7% versus 8.3% in the control group). The study can be found here. (Pm)