Associations between mental health and disease severity in individuals with psoriasis

Abstract Background Psoriasis and mental health are closely intertwined; however, certain aspects remain underexplored. Thus, continued research on this topic is important to deepen our understanding. Objectives To explore the mental health of individuals with psoriasis – specifically depressive symptoms, mental functioning, stress symptoms and coping strategies – and to find associations with physical manifestations of psoriasis. Methods A cross-sectional sample of 214 individuals with psoriasis (107 with illness duration >16 years and 107 with illness duration ≤16 years; cut-off: median) completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the SF-12 measuring mental and physical functioning, and the Stress and Coping Inventory. Additionally, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was assessed. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Individuals with psoriasis reported worse mental and physical health than the general population (norm sample of SF-12) but did not differ significantly from each other. While individuals with illness duration >16 years had lower psoriasis severity than those with illness duration ≤16 years, mean PASI scores indicated low illness severity overall. PASI scores did not show significant correlations with mental health inventories in either group. Conclusions Individuals with psoriasis reported lower mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic than a healthy, prepandemic norm sample, independent of psoriasis severity. Age and illness duration seem to facilitate coping with the disease. Nevertheless, individuals with psoriasis are in need of continued mental health support, regardless of illness duration.