The Factors Affecting Quality of Life in Turkish Psoriasis Patients

Objective: Due to chronic nature of disease, common co-morbidities, time consuming treatments and the social perception of the disease; psoriasis is one of the diseases that impair individual's quality of life the most. The aim of this study was to identify the factors affecting the quality of life of psoriasis patients. Methods: The study included 100 psoriatic patients who admitted to our dermatology clinic between May 2011 and May 2012. Socio-demographic and disease-specific characteristics of patients were recorded. Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire was administered to each patient. Results: A total of 100 patients (56 women, 44 men) were enrolled. The mean score of Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) was 10.49 and DLQI was 5.6 +/- 4.2. Forty percent of the patients had moderate/severe impairment of their quality of life (DLQI score >= 6). Socio-demographic and disease-specific characteristics were not related with DLQI score. When the patients with DLQI score >= 6 are assessed, being <= 40 years old was defined as a risk factor (p=0.007). Conclusion: Psoriasis impairs quality of life and causes psychosocial morbidity. Contrary to usual belief, disease severity was not a significant predictor of quality of life. Patients' feelings and perception about their disease seems to be the main decisive factor of life quality of psoriasis patients.