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Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis patients reported impaired well-being, work productivity

Patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis experienced significantly impaired quality of life and work productivity, according to recent study results.

From a database of more than 75,000 patients in the United States, researchers with the National Psoriasis Foundation collected data from 5,604 patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis who had completed surveys in 2003 to 2009 and 2011. Quality of life that focused on emotional and physical impact and employment status were main outcome measures.

Eighty-eight percent of patients reported that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affected their emotional well-being, while 82% said the diseases interfered with their enjoyment of life. A majority of patients reported anger (89%), frustration (89%), helplessness (87%), embarrassment (87%) and self-consciousness (89%). Eighty-three percent of patients actively concealed physical manifestations of their diseases, 83% experienced pain, and 93% reported regular pruritus.

Forty-eight percent of respondents worked full-time, 22% were retired, 12% were unemployed, 11% were part-time employees, 5% were homemakers, and 2% were students. Ninety-two percent of unemployed patients reported that psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis was the only reason they did not work. Among working patients, 49% were absent regularly because of psoriasis. In a comparison with patients with mild psoriasis, patients with severe psoriasis had an adjusted OR of 1.78 for being unemployed (95% CI, 1.4-2.26).

“This study reveals that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have considerable and deleterious economic consequences on patients,” the researchers reported. “Despite recent advancements in treatments, the majority of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis continue to experience significant impairment of quality of life and work productivity.”