According to research published in the British Journal of Dermatology, Quality of Life (QoL) measures decrease in those psoriasis patients who go on to develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The authors of the paper say this finding emphasizes the importance of the need for dermatologists to screen their psoriasis patients for early signs of PsA, and depression as well.
In a survey study involving 1,570 U.S. patients with psoriasis over the age of 18 years, patients with PsA tended to have increased depressive symptoms and a decreased ability to maintain social roles and participate in activities. The survey respondents included 758 patients with psoriasis and PsA, 736 individuals with psoriasis alone and 76 respondents with PsA alone. In general, the authors note that an estimated 30 to 40% of patients with psoriasis will eventually progress to PsA. A total of 29.3% of the respondents with psoriasis and PsA reported limitations in their ability to join activities and engage socially, 23.4% had experienced depression in the previous two weeks. and 40.6% reported a moderate to very large effect on their quality of life (QoL), after adjustments were made for age and skin disease severity. “These results add to evidence demonstrating the impact of PsA compared with psoriasis alone on mental health, functional ability, and QoL, underscoring the need to screen people with psoriasis for PsA and depression,” the authors wrote.
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