title: Early onset (< 40 years age) psoriasis is comorbid with greater psychopathology than late onset psoriasis: a study of 137 patients.
abstract: Early onset (< age 40 years) psoriasis has been reported to be more readily triggered by environmental factors such as stress, in contrast to late onset (> or = age 40 years) psoriasis. We examined whether certain psychopathologic factors differentiated the psoriasis patient with early onset versus late onset disease. One hundred and thirty-seven psoriasis inpatients completed a battery of psychosocial questionnaires. Logistics regression analysis, using the psychologic measures, age and TBSA affected as independent variables, revealed that higher Anger-in (Anger Expression Scale) scores significantly (p < 0.05) increased the odds or probability of having early versus late onset psoriasis. Psoriasis with onset prior to age 40 is comorbid with greater difficulties with assertion and expression of anger, a personality trait that may adversely affect the patient's capacity to cope with stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Watteel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000786:Anger; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010556:Personality Tests; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis