Psychiatric Comorbidity in Patients with Psoriasis, Vitiligo, Acne, Eczema and Group of Patients with Miscellaneous Dermatological Diagnoses

Background: Dermatological conditions can be associated with high psychiatric comorbidity. Several studies reported high rates of depression and anxiety particularly for specific dermatological disorders such as psoriasis and acne. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the rates of psychiatric symptoms in patients with psoriasis, acne, vitiligo, and eczema versus patients who had other dermatological conditions;and to compare each dermatological group versus healthy control subjects. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in dermatology outpatient clinics in Khartoum. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess symptoms of anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D). ICD-10 criteria were used for clinical psychiatric diagnosis. Tabulated results were analyzed using Chi-square test. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: HADS-D scores above the cut off points were significantly higher in patients with psoriasis (P = 0.0062), vitiligo (P = 0.0054), acne (P = 0.0103) and eczema (P = 0.0359) compared with healthy subjects. Similarly, HADS-A scores above the cut off points were significantly higher in patients with psoriasis (P < 0. 0.0001), vitiligo (P = 0.0001), acne (P = 0.0143) and eczema (P = 0.0281) compared with healthy subjects. No significant difference between the control group and patients with other dermatologic conditions regarding both HADS-D and HADS-A scores. Using ICD-10 criteria for clinical psychiatric diagnoses indicated that 52.3% of dermatology patients had an associated ICD-10 diagnosis;most commonly anxiety disorders (28.6%), and depression (21.9%). ICD-10 diagnoses of anxiety disorders included: OCD (13.3%) generalized anxiety disorder (5.7%), panic disorder (4.8%), phobic anxiety disorder (3.8%) and post-traumatic stress disorder (0.95%). Conclusion: Dermatological conditions are associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidity. Screening for anxiety and depressive symptoms may be helpful for early diagnosis and management of associated psychiatric symptoms.

Psychiatric Aspects of Infectious Diseases

Psychiatric symptoms can be associated with several systemic and central nervous system infections and they can be the initial presenting symptoms, occurring in the absence of neurological symptoms in some disorders as in some cases of viral encephalitis. They could also be part of the clinical picture in other cases such as psychosis or mood symptoms secondary to brucellosis or toxoplasmosis. Late-onset neuropsychiatric complications may also occur several years following the infection such as in the case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis due to measles. Some Infectious diseases may have possible etiological role for major psychiatric disorders, based on yet unconfirmed reports for viral infectious diseases (e.g. Influenza virus and HSV-1) which are thought to have risk for developing schizophrenia and psychosis. Neuropsychiatric adverse effects can occur due to drugs (e.g. mefloquine, interferon-alpha) that are used for treatment of infectious diseases. Psychiatric symptoms can also be reactivated resulting from chronic, complicated and serious infections such as HIV that can lead to depression, anxiety or adjustment disorders, although CNS involvement can also be a possible etiological factor. Patients suffering from primary and severe psychiatric disorders are at increased risk of contracting infection;that is mainly related to high risk behaviors in patients with mania or schizophrenia. It is also important to consider that the co-occurrence of psychiatric symptoms and infection can be incidental (i.e. infectious diseases can occur in psychiatric patients regardless of the above mentioned factors). Early identification of the underlying etiology for organic/secondary psychiatric symptoms is essential for appropriate intervention and early treatment of the primary condition that could be the etiology of psychiatric symptoms so as to avoid unnecessary long-term psychiatric treatment and to avoid complications of possible misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of the primary condition.

Psychiatric Comorbidity in Patients with Acne

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder which has a high prevalence among adolescents and young adults and can be associated with emotional and psychological burden on patients. This review aimed to explore psychological factors in patients with acne. Several forms of emotional distress and psychological complications can occur with acne. Such complications may be worse than the physical impact of the skin condition. Current literature suggests that skin changes in acne are associated with changed body image, psychological distress, anxiety, social phobia, suicidal ideation and depression. Population-based studies suggest a significant association between acne and mental distress among both male and female adolescents. Presence of psychological distress is related to severity of acne in some studies. However, other case-controlled studies suggest increased risk for psychological problems in patients with acne regardless of its severity. Stress is suspected to have a role in exacerbations of acne, and the quality of life (QoL) is affected particularly in cases with severe facial acne. Acne treatment can be associated with psychiatric side effects. Isotretinoin may be associated with depression and suicide attempts as shown in several studies but with conflicting results. On the other hand, psychotropic medications (such as antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers) can also induce acne. The results of this review indicate the importance of vigilant psychiatric assessment for patients with acne, particularly those receiving isotretinoin, is needed for early diagnosis and treatment of the associated psychiatric co-morbidity.