Suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression in adult patients with atopic dermatitis

Background. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease which is increasing in incidence and prevalence. An understanding of the mental burden patients carry is essential for successful psychodermatological treatment. Patients and methods. 62 adult atopic dermatitis patients were tested with a questionnaire and compared with a matched group of 62 healthy persons. Using the questionnaire for assessing suicide risk of Poldinger, suicidal ideations were assessed. Anxiety and depression were detected by using HADS-D; the severity of symptoms by patients' self-evaluation based on SCORAD index. Finally, the onset of atopic dermatitis was established. Results. A significantly higher level of suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression was shown among patients with atopic dermatitis. All three aspects showed a medium effect size. Strong correlations between severity of symptoms and psychological burden were observed. 16.1% of patients with atopic dermatitis suffered from suicidal ideation, while only 1.6% in control group did, producing an odds ratio of 11.73 (95% CI 1.45-94.71). Conclusion. Suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression are important factors, which should be addressed when treating atopic dermatitis.