Stephen Chu-Sung Hu, Gwo-Shing Chen, Hung-Pin Tu
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3145

The epidemiology of depression in patients with psoriasis has not been well defined in the Asian population. This study evaluated the epidemiological features of, and risk factors for, depression among patients with psoriasis in Taiwan. A nationwide population-based cross-sectional study was undertaken using the National Health Insurance Research Database. This study included 17,086 patients with psoriasis and 1,607,242 patients from the general population. The prevalence of depression in patients with psoriasis was 11.52%, while the prevalence of depression in the general population was 7.73% (prevalence ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.43–1.55). Multivariable analysis showed that, in patients with psoriasis, risk factors associated with depression were: age 20–50 years, female sex, low income, and major comorbid diseases, including liver cirrhosis, renal disease, cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease. Therefore, the prevalence of depression is higher in patients with psoriasis, particularly in young and middle-aged women with low income and major comorbidities.

This nationwide population-based cross-sectional study demonstrates that the prevalence of depression is higher in patients with psoriasis compared with non-psoriasis patients in the Taiwanese general population. In patients with psoriasis, risk factors associated with increased prevalence of depression include: age 20–50 years, female sex, lower income, and comorbid diseases, including liver cirrhosis, renal disease, cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease. Therefore, clinicians should be vigilant for increased prevalence of depression in patients with psoriasis, especially those with the aforementioned risk factors. In addition, more clinical effort should be focused on the prevention and treatment of this serious psychiatric disorder in patients with psoriasis.