title: Quality of life in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria: the impact of Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) associated with lower quality of life (QoL) levels. Psychiatric disturbances are frequently present in patients with CIU. This study examined the impact of Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders on the QoL of patients with CIU.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample consisted of 100 subjects including CIU patients with only Axis I psychiatric diagnoses (n=25), CIU patients with only Axis II diagnoses (n=25), CIU patients with both Axis I and Axis II diagnoses (n=25), CIU patients without any Axis I and Axis II diagnosis (n=25), and healthy control subjects with respect to urticaria and psychiatric disorders (n=25). The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (SCID-1) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM, Revised Third Edition Personality Disorders (SCID-II) was used to determine Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders, respectively. QoL levels were assessed by means of the World Health Organization QoL Assessment-Brief (WHOWOL-BREF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences among the groups with respect to all WHOQOL-BREF subscale scores. The QoL levels were similar among CIU patients with only Axis I psychiatric diagnoses, CIU patients with only Axis II diagnoses and CIU patients with both Axis I and Axis II diagnoses, and between CIU patients without any Axis I and Axis II diagnosis, and healthy control subjects. When compared with those of CIU patients without any Axis I and Axis II diagnosis, CIU patients without concurrent psychiatric diagnoses had significantly lower scores in most domains of the QoL scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders seem to be considerable factors influencing the QoL in CIU patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. farukuguz@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uguz
authors.forename: Burhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engin
authors.forename: Ertan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012803:Sick Role; D012931:Social Environment; D014421:Turkey; D014581:Urticaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult