engleski

Quality of life in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune systematic disease, which, besides skin, affects joints and numerous other organ systems. It is still an incurable disease which affects 2‐3% of the world’s population, and it makes psoriasis the most common chronic dermatological disease. Although not being life‐threatening, psoriasis significantly affects the psychological status of the patient. Due to negative effects on their appearance, patients are often stigmatised and exposed to social isolation. Psoriasis patients have significantly diminished quality of life, psychological and social functioning and the quality of their life is perceived as low as that of cancer patients, heart attack survivors, and pulmonary patients. The aim of this research is to examine whether there is a difference in the quality of life between psoriasis patients and health controls and between patients with mild and severe psoriasis. The data was collected in the Clinical Hospital Centre Split, Clinic of Dermatology and Venerology. 144 participants were included, 82 of whom were psoriasis patients and 62 were healthy (with no diagnosed physical diseases). The questionnaire included socio‐ demographic data, the World Health Organisation Quality of Life (WHOQOL)‐BREF and a physician determined the severity of psoriasis using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. A significant difference between the psoriasis patients and the healthy control group, in terms of overall life and health satisfaction, psychological, physical, and environmental domain was found. Also, patients with severe psoriasis perceived significantly lower overall health satisfaction and psychological domain of quality of life than patients with mild psoriasis. Therefore, during the psoriasis treatment, in addition to the usual symptoms relief, significant concern should be given to psychological support.

psoriasis, control group, psoriasis severity, quality of life

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