[Psychosocial consequences of psoriasis--an empirical study of disease burden in 3753 affected people].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the psychosocial consequences of psoriasis in a large sample in Germany.


METHODS
A questionnaire including the Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) circulated by the German Psoriasis Alliance was answered by 3753 members representing a return rate of 42.3%. Psoriasis was graded-at the time of the examination-with less than 3% of the body surface affected as "mild", between 3 and 10% as "moderate," and more than 10% as "severe."


RESULTS
The general impact of the illness on everyday life was "mild" in about 27%, "problematic" in about 45%, and "severe" in about 25% of the respondents. About 50% of the participants in the study had, concerning the skin, "mild" (PDI=9), about 35% "moderate" (PDI=14), and about 15% "severe" psoriasis (PDI=19). The differences of the PDI values are significant (ANOVA: p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
This investigation confirms the enormous burden caused by the skin disease in the form of impairment and stigmatization, depending on the somatic severity, even when the current affection is rather mild. In connection with psychosocial consequences, future study should also focus on the disease burden of psoriasis.
Schmid-Ott
G
G
Abteilung Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Medizinische Hochschule, Hannover. Schmid-Ott.Gerhard@mh-hannover.de
Malewski
P
P
Kreiselmaier
I
I
Mrowietz
U
U
D017281:Cost of Illness; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011584:Psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires