title: Anxiety, depression and impaired health-related quality of life in patients with occupational hand eczema.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Occupational hand eczema is one of the most frequent occupational diseases. Few data about the prevalence of mental comorbidities are available. Objectives. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety, depression symptoms, the impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and their correlates in patients with occupational hand eczema.
  
  
  METHODS
  A test battery consisting of the German versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) as a specific instrument and the Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) as a generic instrument for HRQoL was applied in 122 patients. The severity of hand eczema was assessed with the Osnabrueck Hand Eczema Severity Index (OHSI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty per cent of patients had a positive anxiety score, and 14% had a positive depression score. Higher anxiety levels, a greater impairment in the SF-36 mental component summary score and a higher DLQI category score for symptoms and feelings was detected in females than in males. The OHSI correlated with the impairment in HRQoL, and an association of severe hand eczema with symptoms of anxiety and depression was found in males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a high prevalence of anxiety and depression in our study population of patients with occupational hand eczema. Preventive measures should consider the psychosocial implications of occupational hand eczema.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Innovative Rehabilitation, Hospital Management and Distress Medicine (IREHA), Lielje Group, 32584 Löhne, Germany.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmid-Ott
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Finkeldey
authors.forename: Swen Malte
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dwinger
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Werfel
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Diepgen
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Breuer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004485:Eczema / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D062072:Patient Acuity; D015995:Prevalence; D011537:Pruritus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology