title: Quality of Life and Psychosocial Implications in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a long-term skin disorder associated with high levels of psychological distress and significant life impact.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the quality of life, depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-esteem in patients with HS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-four patients with HS were enrolled in the study. The quality of life, depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-esteem of the patients were assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-Version 3), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DLQI mean score was 11.43 ± 6.61 in patients with HS. The patients with HS presented statistically significantly higher anxiety (6.41 ± 3.31 vs. 5.00 ± 1.59, p < 0.001), depression (5.45 ± 2.79 vs. 4.16 ± 1.54, p < 0.001), and loneliness and social isolation scores (42.86 ± 8.63 vs. 35.57 ± 6.17, p < 0.001) and lower self-esteem scores (18.91 ± 1.79 vs. 19.77 ± 2.53, p = 0.008) than the healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HS is a distressing, recurrent disease that impairs quality of life. We can suggest services that allow an integrated approach, which includes psychosocial support, offering the patients relief from isolation and an opportunity to share common experiences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Andreas Sygros Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anargyros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kouris
authors.forename: Eftychia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Platsidaki
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Christodoulou
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Efstathiou
authors.forename: Clio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dessinioti
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tzanetakou
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Korkoliakou
authors.forename: Chrisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zisimou
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kontochristopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017497:Hidradenitis Suppurativa / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011584:Psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hidradenitis suppurativa; Psychosocial implications; Quality of life