Comorbidity of Psychiatric Disorders in Patients With Skin Diseases

Abstract

Psychiatric disorders were present in every group of patients with skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne. The study's objective was to investigate the comorbidity of psychiatric disorders and gender differences in patients with eczema, psoriasis and acne in Lahore, Pakistan. With purposive sampling a total of 150 patients (including 50 eczema, 50 psoriasis and 50 acne patients) was acquired. A diagnostic questionnaire for psychiatric disorders (Rehman et al., 2008) was administered along with a demographic form. Overall, the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder was highest among the patients with eczema, psoriasis and acne; however, generalised anxiety disorder and major depression disorder were the second and third highest prevailing psychiatric disorders. Significant gender differences were found only in hypochondriasis among research participants with eczema, psoriasis, and acne. It was concluded that these patients suffer from different psychiatric disorders; therefore, they should be treated with a psycho dermatological approach to improve their clinical condition