title: Biologics are more potent than other treatment modalities for improvement of quality of life in psoriasis patients.
abstract: Although mental health is hampered in various skin disorders, few studies regarding anxiety in psoriasis patients are available, and specifically, no evaluation exists between mental health and psoriasis severity or the patients' quality of life. To examine the relation between mental health, psoriasis severity and patient's quality of life, 119 psoriasis vulgaris patients were assessed for anxiety using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-30. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and Dermatological Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores were also measured. The average total GHQ-30 score was significantly decreased from 4.41 to 2.11 (52.2% decrease) in biologics-treated patients. That of patients treated with other systemic agents decreased from 4.36 to 3.32 (23.9% decrease) and that of those treated with topical agents from 4.21 to 3.48 (17.3% decrease). In the biologics-treated group five of the six categories of GHQ-30, i.e., general illness, somatic symptoms, sleep disturbance, social dysfunction, and anxiety and dysphoria, were significantly decreased after the treatment. In contrast, in the other systemic treatment and topical treatment groups, three of the six categories, general illness, somatic symptoms, and sleep disturbance were significantly decreased. There was a significant correlation between GHQ-30 and DLQI, but not with PASI. The psoriasis patients show impaired mental health and among various treatment modalities biologics are superior to other systemic or topical treatments for improving the defective mental state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iinuma
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honma
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iizuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products
keywords: Dermatological Life Quality Index; General Health Questionnaire-30; Psoriasis; Psoriasis Area and Severity Index; biologics