Psychiatric comorbidity and suicide risk in patients with psoriasis

Abstract

Introduction

Psoriasis has a significant impact on the mental and emotional functioning.

Objective

It has been reported that the risk of psychiatric comorbidity increases with the severity of the disorder, and the most frequent associations appear to be those with depression and anxiety.

Aims

To analyze the association between psoriasis, mental disorders and suicidal ideation in a sample of patients affected by psoriasis. To investigate the differences between psoriasis patients and patients with other dermatologic diseases.

Methods

Participants were 242 consecutive patients (142 women and 100 men), 112 patients with psoriasis (46.3%), 77 with melanoma (31.8%) and 53 with allergy (21.0%). All patients were administered a structured sociodemographic interview and the following measures: the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A). We also assessed current and previous suicidal ideation and previous suicide attempts.

Results

Patients with psoriasis (compared to other groups of patients) more frequently had a comorbid mood disorder (16.1% vs 3.9% and 0.0%, respectively for patients with melanoma and patients with allergy; χ²₂ = 14.98; P < 0.001), past suicidal ideation (33.9% vs 15.6% and 18.9%, respectively for patients with melanoma and patients with allergy; χ²₂ = 2.05; P < 0.01) and attempts (6.3% vs 0.0% and 0.0%, for the other groups of patients; χ²₂ = 8.37; P < 0.05). Patients with psoriasis reported higher HAM-D scores than melanoma patients.

Conclusions

The clinical evaluation of patients with psoriasis should include the assessment of psychiatric comorbidities and the routinely assessment of suicide risk.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.