Psoriasis, Psychotropic Drugs and Psychiatric Comorbidities: A Case-Control Study with Inpatients
Abstract
Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis with significant impact on quality of life and multiple comorbidities, with recognition especially given to cardiovascular risk factors. Recently it has been highlighted the high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities.
Methods: The primary outcome was to assess the prevalence of psychotropic drugs in the chronic medication of patients with diagnosis of psoriasis. We performed a case-control study at the Department of Dermatology of Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, between 2010 and 2015. The results were compared with age- and gender-matched controls. The medication was grouped according to the INFARMED. The secondary outcome was to compare the prevalence of treatments for cardiovascular risk factors in both groups and to compile the information on psychiatric comorbidities available in the medical records of the psoriasis patients included in this study. The data were processed by STATA 14 and statistical significance was considered when p<0.05. Results: The sample consisted of 79 patients, 67% male and 33% female, mean age of 59.30±17.17 years. There was association (p<0.01) between psoriasis and psychotropic drugs, especially anxiolytics and antipsychotics, with 63% of patients with at least one psychotropic drug. It was found an association between psoriasis and antihypertensive drugs (p<0.05). Frequently, psychiatric diagnoses were not mentioned or were inaccurately described in the medical records.
Conclusion: The results highlight the high prevalence of psychotropic drugs and reinforce previous studies about the lack of assessment of psychopathology in dermatology, a topic of high relevance in patients with psychodermatologic diseases, such as psoriasis.
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