Emotional well-being is impaired in hidradenitis suppurativa patients

Abstract

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory condition. Objective: To measure emotional well-being in HS patients and compare to other populations, assess if there is an effect of disease severity on emotional well-being, and determine if emotional well-being is correlated with quality of life and depression. Methods: A total of 153 HS subjects were recruited, and 66 Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) surveys assessing emotional well-being were completed. Norms for comparison populations (disease-free undergraduates and adults) were used. A validated self-Assessment tool was used to determine disease severity. Subjects completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) to examine depression and quality of life, respectively. Results: HS subjects had lower positive affect than undergraduates and higher negative affect than adults. There were no differences in PANAS scores by Hurley stage (p > 0.05). PANAS scores for HS subjects correlated with worse quality of life (r = 0.66, p < 0.00001) and depression (r = 0.74, p < 0.00001). Conclusion: HS patients have poor emotional well-being. PANAS scores correlated with worse quality of life and depression. Providing appropriate resources and treatments may be beneficial for HS patients.