Self-Assessment Questionnaires Reveal Mental Health Burden in Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis
Quality -of-life impairment and symptoms of anxiety and depression are common in patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD), according to a retrospective study evaluating patient-reported outcome measures in routine clinical care. The findings support the use of validated questionnaires to identify psychological distress that may otherwise go unrecognized in dermatology visits.
Investigators analyzed demographic, clinical, and questionnaire data from hospital records at Riga 1st Hospital, Latvia, focusing on Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores. The aim was to assess differences in quality of life and mental health symptoms and examine their associations with disease features.
Median DLQI scores indicated moderate quality-of-life impairment in both conditions, with scores of 10.5 for AD and 10 for psoriasis. Clinically relevant depressive symptoms were common. Among patients with AD, PHQ-9 scores of 10 or higher were reported in 42.9% of women and 50.0% of men. Anxiety symptoms, defined by GAD-7 scores of 10 or higher, were observed in 14.3% of women and 20.0% of men with AD.
In psoriasis, depression symptoms were reported in 25.0% of women and 28.9% of men, while anxiety symptoms affected 20.0% of women and 15.8% of men. Notably, elevated GAD-7 scores were associated with genital involvement in psoriasis, suggesting that sensitive disease locations may confer additional psychological burden.
Across both diseases, strong correlations were observed between DLQI, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scores. The authors noted that “patient quality of life and prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms are impacted by psoriasis and atopic dermatitis,” with similar patterns seen across genders and comorbidities. They further concluded that “the correlations between PHQ-9, GAD-7 and DLQI scores indicate that further evaluation might be necessary if quality of life is impaired.”
For dermatologists, the key takeaway is that self-assessment questionnaires can provide meaningful insight into mental health burden in chronic inflammatory skin disease. When DLQI scores are elevated, targeted screening for anxiety and depression—particularly in patients with genital involvement—may help guide timely counseling, referral, or integrated care.
Reference
Arnīte A, Bondare-Ansberga V, Reinberga L, Hartmane I, Mikažāns I. Depression, anxiety and quality of life in patients with atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Medicina (Kaunas). 2026;62(1):164. doi:10.3390/medicina62010164
