ISSN: 2574-7800
Authors: Najat H Belkhair, Ghada A Albarghathi* and Gamal A Duweb
Background: The physical or perceived disfigurement can become a source of significant distress, with a considerable impact on an individual’s psychological, social, and physical well-being. Dermatological conditions are responsible for a significant source of social stigmatization in many human societies and cultures, contributing to the development of co-morbid diseases such as depression and anxiety. Objectives: To determine the levels of anxiety and depression in dermatology outpatients and to evaluate their association with quality of life and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: A total of 150 patients attending our dermatology outpatient clinic in dermatology department, Benghazi Medical Center, and 100 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex were included in this study. All patients were asked to fill Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), and healthy controls to fill only HAD. Results: The differences between the mean HAD anxiety (HAD-A) and HAD depression (HAD-D) scores of the patients and the controls were not significant statistically. 44% of all patients were at risk for anxiety while 35% of control subjects were at risk for anxiety, 38.7% of all patients were at risk for depression whereas only 29% of the controls were at risk for depression. Forty of the male patients and eighty-four of the female patients were at risk for anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Both marital status and severity of the disease have an influence on HAD-A and HAD-D scores. DLQI scores were not correlated with HAD-A and HAD-D scores.
Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD)
