Dermatology Quality of Life and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-42 in Scabies Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Scabies is a pruritic skin infestation with a globally increasing prevalence. Sleep problems and impaired social and personal interactions, mainly due to itching, have been reported. Objectives: We aimed to determine the influence of scabies on quality of life and psychosocial health using Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42) and analyze whether there is a correlation between the two scales and any sociodemographic and clinical characteristic. Methods: Scabies patients (>16 years) who presented to our outpatient clinics were enrolled. Age, sex, occupation, marital status, and education level and clinical features were recorded. DLQI and DASS-42 were used. Possible influence of demographic and clinical characteristics on total scores were analyzed. The Spearman coefficient analysis was performed to determine whether there is a correlation between these scores. Results: Of 92 patients (mean age:37.76±15.355, Female/Male: 1.09/1), 63% were married and 35.9% were high-school graduates; 27.2% and 23.9% were housewives and officers, respectively. Disease was generalized in 57.6% and duration of disease was mostly <4 weeks. Mean DLQI and DASS-42 scores were 13.16±7.638 and 42.10±30.644, respectively. Symptoms/feelings were affected predominantly. DLQI was affected ‘severely’ in 41.3% of patients. Conclusions: Impairment of DLQI is a significant predictive parameter for higher DASS levels. Scabies is not only associated with impairment in DLQI but may also lead to psychosocial problems. All scabies patients should be evaluated and consulted–if needed–for possible problems of psychosocial status, including depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as clinical symptoms and secondary complications.