Psychometric Evaluation of Patients With Vitiligo

BACKGROUND/AIM: Vitiligo is a chronic acquired pigmentary disorder with substantial psychosocial consequences. This study evaluated depression, general psychopathology, personality traits, hostility, and dermatology-related quality of life in patients with vitiligo, and examined the demographic and clinical factors associated with psychological burden and impaired social functioning. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 100 patients with vitiligo followed at Andreas Syggros Hospital, Athens, Greece. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Non-parametric tests, correlation analyses, and multivariable logistic and binomial regression models were applied. RESULTS: Most patients reported minimal depressive symptoms, although more than one-third showed mild-to-severe depressive burden. Psychological distress was mainly reflected in anxiety, depression, somatization, and interpersonal sensitivity. Women and patients with comorbidities had significantly higher depression scores and poorer quality of life. Lesion localization was clinically relevant: trunk, genital, and lower-extremity involvement were associated with greater psychological burden and worse DLQI scores, whereas facial involvement was associated with lower psychopathology scores in multivariable analysis. Depression was independently associated with comorbidity, neuroticism, psychoticism, and self-criticism. Impaired quality of life was associated with female sex, extremity involvement, and self-criticism, while longer disease duration showed a protective effect. CONCLUSION: Vitiligo is a multidimensional disorder in which dermatological, psychological, and social factors interact closely. Quality of life is influenced more strongly by psychological status and personality-related factors than by disease severity alone, supporting the need for interdisciplinary management that integrates dermatologic and mental health care.