title: Postal questionnaire study of disability in the community associated with psoriasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the disability caused by psoriasis in patients recorded as having psoriasis by their general practitioner.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal questionnaire survey using the psoriasis disability index and SF-36.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five general practices in Cleveland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 767 patients identified, 546 completed the questionnaire and 435 were eligible and gave informed consent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scores on SF-36 and psoriasis disability index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The psoriasis disability index score was highly negatively correlated with all eight of the SF-36 health measures (P < 0.0001 for each), and the manual social classes scored higher than the non-manual social classes (P < 0.0001). The manual social class group scored significantly lower scores than the controls on all the SF-36 scales, and the non-manual group scored significantly lower for physical and mental role limitation (P < 0.0004 and P = 0.026), mental health (P < 0.0001), energy and vitality (P < 0.0004), and health perception (P < 0.0001). Also, the manual group had poorer health perception on five of the SF-36 variables when compared with the non-manual group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with psoriasis have an overall lower perception of their quality of life than healthy controls, and those in the lower social classes suffer a greater degree of disability from their disease than the higher social classes.
authors.affiliation: Norton Medical Centre, Stockton on Tees.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires