Health‐related quality of life in adolescents with psoriasis: an interview‐based study

• Published in: British journal of dermatology (1951) Vol. 178; no. 6; p. e445
• Main Authors: Randa, H., Lomholt, J.J., Skov, L., Zachariae, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.06.2018
• Subjects: Adolescents; Body image; Medical personnel; Patients; Pruritus; Psoriasis; Quality of life; Skin diseases; Teenagers
• ISSN: 0007-0963; 1365-2133
• DOI: 10.1111/bjd.16753

Summary Psoriasis is a common skin disease affecting the physical, psychological and social well‐being of patients and their families. Most research so far has been limited to adults, and little is known about the experiences of young people with psoriasis. The aim of this study, from Denmark, was to provide an in‐depth understanding of the impact of psoriasis on adolescents’ health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Thirty‐sixs interviews were conducted with 18 adolescents with psoriasis (aged 12–17 years), 14 of their parents and four health professionals working with psoriasis. The interview guide included broad, open‐ended questions asking about different life domains (e.g. physical, emotional and social) rather than specific issues previously addressed in existing (e.g. questionnaire‐based) research. However, when participants raised issues previously addressed in existing questionnaires, the authors prompted them to provide more information on these issues. The participants reported that psoriasis affected their quality of life within six main themes: physical symptoms (e.g. itching and flaking, fluctuation of symptoms), feeling different (e.g. feeling alone, body image issues), psoriasis‐related worry about the future (e.g. disease worsening, education and work, starting a family), increased attention (e.g. comments, staring, bullying), attempts to conceal skin (e.g. choosing specific clothing, avoiding swimming) and treatment‐related frustrations and worry (e.g. side‐effects and inconvenience). Taken together, a broad range of the reported difficulties appeared to arise from appearance‐related concerns. The impact of psoriasis and its treatment on the adolescents’ daily lives varied considerably. The authors believe that dermatologists during consultations could help by including patients’ HRQoL concerns in planning treatment, and also simply asking about these factors. In more complicated cases, referral to psychologists or counselling might be necessary. Linked Article: Randa et al. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:1404–1411