Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a common, genetically determined inflammatory and proliferative disease of the skin. Psychological stress can exacerbate the disease. Objectives: This study sought to investigate the depression and anxiety disorders among patients with psoriasis and control group. Material and Methods: This study was a comparative case-control study. It included 100 psoriatic patients who were compared to 100 controls. The patient group was recruited from the outpatient clinic of dermatology department of Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (SGRRIM &HS), Dehradun and diagnosed by a consultant and a specialist dermatologists. The sample includes both sexes, ageing from 20 to 50. Results: From One-hundred patients in each group, 57 were male (50 control) and 43 were female (50 control). Depression score was 78% and 20% in psoriatic patients and control, respectively. The Beck depression inventory (BDI) of patients with psoriasis were significantly higher than scores of the control group (P < 0.001). Anxiety symptoms scored on BAI also revealed higher values than controls, with a highly statistically significant value (Chi-square= 35.8 and p<0.001). Conclusion: The results revealed that psoriatic patients reported significantly higher degrees of depression and anxiety than controls. Understanding their diverse mechanisms of coping can give them a better chance for a more comprehensive and beneficial management plan.

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