01776nas a2200193 4500000000100000008004100001653002800042653001900070653001900089653001500108653001400123100001400137700002000151700001900171700002600190245005000216300001000266520130600276 2017 d10aStigma (health related)10aDiscrimination10aSocial Support10aDepression10aPsoriasis1 aŁakuta P1 aMarcinkiewicz K1 aBergler-Czop B1 aBrzezińska-Wcisło L00aHow does stigma affect people with psoriasis? a36-413 a

Introduction: Psoriasis is associated with a major additional psychological burden.
Aim: To investigate whether the extent of skin involvement, stigmatization, and perceived social support are related to depressive symptoms in psoriasis patients.
Material and methods: One hundred and forty-eight psoriasis patients completed in the BSA, the Beck Depression Inventory, Stigmatization Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.
Results: Almost 13% of participants obtained a BDI total score indicating moderate depressive symptoms. The results of regression analysis revealed that greater depression severity in psoriasis patients is associated with higher levels of psoriasis-related stigma, lower perceived social support, female gender and a shorter duration of the disease, explaining 43% of the variance of depression. The stigmatization was the most powerful predictor of depressive symptoms for psoriasis patients and accounted for 33% of the variance.
Conclusions: The extent of psoriasis does not directly lead to mood disturbance in these patients. Rather, social stig- ma accounted for this relationship. Strategies for reducing the stigma attached to patients with psoriasis are required.