F Sampogna1, L Puig2, P Spuls3, G Girolomoni4, M A Radtke5, B Kirby6, M Brunori7, P Bergmans8, P Smirnov9, J Rundle10, A Castiglia11, F Lavie7, C Paul12. 1. Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Dermatological Hospital IDI-IRCCS FLMM, Rome, Italy. 2. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. 3. Department of Dermatology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 4. University of Verona, Verona, Italy. 5. Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 6. St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. 7. Janssen-Cilag, Paris, France. 8. Janssen-Cilag BV, Breda, the Netherlands. 9. Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Moscow, Russia. 10. Janssen-Cilag Ltd, High Wycombe, U.K. 11. Janssen Cilag SpA, Cologno Monzese, Italy. 12. Toulouse University and CHU Hôpital Larrey, Toulouse, France.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alexithymia refers to difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions. Alexithymia is associated with high burden of disease in patients with psoriasis. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether alexithymia was reversible in patients with psoriasis following real-life therapeutic intervention. METHODS: The Epidemiological Study in Patients with Recently Diagnosed Psoriasis (EPIDEPSO; NCT01964443) was a 1-year multicentre observational study investigating the prevalence of alexithymia and other psychosocial comorbidities in patients with psoriasis with ≤ 10 years' disease duration and eligible for systemic treatment. Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) at baseline, 6 months and 1 year. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of alexithymia in the follow-up cohort, from 26·7% at baseline to 21·2% at 6 months and 18·8% at 1 year. More than half of the patients (n = 77, 53·8%) who were alexithymic at baseline experienced reversion of their alexithymia. Reversion of alexithymia was higher in patients who reached a high level of disease control, defined as ≥ 75% or ≥ 90% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Reversion of alexithymia was associated with dramatic improvement in quality of life, anxiety and depression. Moreover, hazardous alcohol use, highly prevalent in patients with alexithymia, was reduced almost threefold at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Alexithymia and associated high disease burden may be reversible in patients with effective treatment of psoriasis. Proactive recognition of patients who are unable to identify and express their feelings is important.
BACKGROUND: Alexithymia refers to difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions. Alexithymia is associated with high burden of disease in patients with psoriasis. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether alexithymia was reversible in patients with psoriasis following real-life therapeutic intervention. METHODS: The Epidemiological Study in Patients with Recently Diagnosed Psoriasis (EPIDEPSO; NCT01964443) was a 1-year multicentre observational study investigating the prevalence of alexithymia and other psychosocial comorbidities in patients with psoriasis with ≤ 10 years' disease duration and eligible for systemic treatment. Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) at baseline, 6 months and 1 year. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of alexithymia in the follow-up cohort, from 26·7% at baseline to 21·2% at 6 months and 18·8% at 1 year. More than half of the patients (n = 77, 53·8%) who were alexithymic at baseline experienced reversion of their alexithymia. Reversion of alexithymia was higher in patients who reached a high level of disease control, defined as ≥ 75% or ≥ 90% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Reversion of alexithymia was associated with dramatic improvement in quality of life, anxiety and depression. Moreover, hazardous alcohol use, highly prevalent in patients with alexithymia, was reduced almost threefold at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Alexithymia and associated high disease burden may be reversible in patients with effective treatment of psoriasis. Proactive recognition of patients who are unable to identify and express their feelings is important.
Authors: C Elise Kleyn; Peter S Talbot; Nehal N Mehta; Francesca Sampogna; Chris Bundy; Darren M Ashcroft; Alexa B Kimball; Peter C M van de Kerkhof; Christopher E M Griffiths; Fernando Valenzuela; Joelle M van der Walt; Tsion Aberra; Lluís Puig Journal: Acta Derm Venereol Date: 2020-01-07 Impact factor: 3.875
Authors: Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda; Emanuel Vanegas; Miguel Felix; Sofia Cherrez; Delia Suárez-Almendariz; Johana Ponton; Vladimir Preciado; Edgar Ollague-Cordova; Enrique Loayza Journal: Psychol Res Behav Manag Date: 2019-12-16