title: Psychiatric disorders among subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus in an unselected population.
abstract: The prevalence of lifetime psychiatric disorders was investigated among all known systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in Iceland. The participation rate was 81%. Over 49% of the subjects received a lifetime psychiatric diagnosis. The number of diagnoses per person was 2.3. The most common disorder among those with a disorder was phobia (56%), followed by generalized anxiety (12%). Agoraphobia with and without panic, simple, social phobia, and alcohol abuse were found to be more common among the SLE patients in comparison with a population sample (p < 0.02; p < 0.0001; p < 0.001; p < 0.0001; p < 0.05, respectively). A possible explanation of the high rate of phobia may be related to the nature of clinical disfiguring facial skin rashes which may lead to social withdrawal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Líndal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thorlacius
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Steinsson
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Stefánsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence