Quality of life in psoriasis: a study from south India.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis can have a profound impact on a patient's quality of life. Very few Indian studies have examined this aspect of Indian patients of psoriasis. AIMS: This study was conducted to assess the clinical severity, as well as physical and psychosocial disability, and stress incurred and to analyze their interrelationship in psoriasis patients aged more than 18 years.
METHODS: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India. Clinical severity, physical and psychosocial morbidity, and the stress incurred were measured using psoriasis area severity index (PASI), psoriasis disability index (PDI), and psoriasis life stress inventory (PLSI) respectively, the latter two of which were suitably modified and translated into the local language, viz., Tamil. Appropriate tests were conducted using SPSS for Windows (Release 7.5.1) statistical software.
RESULTS: Fifty patients (34 males, 16 females) were included in the study. The clinical PASI scores correlated significantly with the overall physical disability (PDI), individual aspects of the PDI (except the treatment-related activities), and the measurement of stress incurred (PLSI). A PASI score of more than 18 delineated a subgroup of patients with higher overall physical disability and higher stress rating. Among the physical and psychosocial factors investigated, daily activities, employment, and treatment were reported to be affected the most. Psoriasis sufferers are also most likely to feel self-conscious, be disturbed / inconvenienced by the shedding of the skin, live in a constant fear of relapse, and avoid social interactions.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides compelling evidence that psoriasis affects the quality of life, and it highlights the importance of adopting a multidimensional assessment of psoriasis.