PS68 The psychological impact of chronic dermatological conditions

Abstract

Chronic skin conditions are a common reason for consultation in dermatology. Due to their visible and often stigmatizing nature, these disorders can significantly affect body image and lead to substantial psychological distress. Yet, this dimension remains underexplored in routine clinical practice. The main objective of this study was to assess the psychological impact of chronic dermatological diseases among patients attending the University Hospital Med VI in Agadir. This was a cross-sectional, observational and analytical study conducted between July 2023 and January 2025. It included 299 patients aged 18–65 years with a chronic dermatological condition. Each patient underwent a joint ­dermatology–psychiatry evaluation. Three validated instruments were used: the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The mean age of participants was 38.5 years (SD 10.9), with a female predominance of 81%. The mean DLQI score was 7.6 (SD 1.0), indicating moderate impairment in quality of life. A high DLQI score was significantly associated with younger age (P < 0.001), being single (P < 0.001), low education level (P < 0.001), unemployment (P < 0.001), psychiatric history (P < 0.001), certain diagnoses (psoriasis, eczema, bullous diseases) and a history of hospitalization (P < 0.001). Clinically significant anxiety symptoms (HADS-Anxiety) were found in 29% of patients and depressive symptoms (HADS-Depression) in 32.7%. Both were associated with rural residence, chronic evolution of the skin condition, and psychiatric history (P < 0.001). Self-esteem was severely impaired in 63.2% of patients and was significantly lower among those without a job (P < 0.001), those living in rural areas (P < 0.001), those with personal (P = 0.005) or family (P = 0.004) psychiatric history, and patients with acne, hyperpigmentation or alopecia (P = 0.005). This study highlights the significant psychological burden of chronic dermatological diseases and its correlation with both clinical and sociodemographic factors.