Introduction: Psoriasis is associated with a major additional psychological burden.
Aim: To investigate whether the extent of skin involvement, stigmatization, and perceived social support are related to depressive symptoms in psoriasis patients.
Material and methods: One hundred and forty-eight psoriasis patients completed in the BSA, the Beck Depression Inventory, Stigmatization Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.
Results: Almost 13% of participants obtained a BDI total score indicating moderate depressive symptoms. The results of regression analysis revealed that greater depression severity in psoriasis patients is associated with higher levels of psoriasis-related stigma, lower perceived social support, female gender and a shorter duration of the disease, explaining 43% of the variance of depression. The stigmatization was the most powerful predictor of depressive symptoms for psoriasis patients and accounted for 33% of the variance.
Conclusions: The extent of psoriasis does not directly lead to mood disturbance in these patients. Rather, social stig- ma accounted for this relationship. Strategies for reducing the stigma attached to patients with psoriasis are required.
Introduction: Psoriasis is associated with a major additional psychological burden.
Aim: To investigate whether the extent of skin involvement, stigmatization, and perceived social support are related to depressive symptoms in psoriasis patients.
Material and methods: One hundred and forty-eight psoriasis patients completed in the BSA, the Beck Depression Inventory, Stigmatization Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.
Results: Almost 13% of participants obtained a BDI total score indicating moderate depressive symptoms. The results of regression analysis revealed that greater depression severity in psoriasis patients is associated with higher levels of psoriasis-related stigma, lower perceived social support, female gender and a shorter duration of the disease, explaining 43% of the variance of depression. The stigmatization was the most powerful predictor of depressive symptoms for psoriasis patients and accounted for 33% of the variance.
Conclusions: The extent of psoriasis does not directly lead to mood disturbance in these patients. Rather, social stig- ma accounted for this relationship. Strategies for reducing the stigma attached to patients with psoriasis are required.