Quality of life in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria: the impact of Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders.
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.
Uguz
Faruk
F
Department of Psychiatry, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. farukuguz@hotmail.com
Engin
Burhan
B
Yilmaz
Ertan
E
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