About two-thirds of patients with inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis, have high reported stress scores, according to a letter to the editor published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Laurent Misery, MD, PhD, and colleagues conducted an observational, cross-sectional, non-comparative study between October 2020 and February 2021 to examine perceived stress in adults with psoriasis, acne (AA), atopic dermatitis (AD), or hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The validated perceived stress scale was used to assess stress, and QOL was measured with the Dermatology Life Quality Index. Data were included for 7,273 participants: 1,605 with AA; 2,538 with AD; 2,329 with P; and 801 with HS. Among participants, 66.3% reported stress scores greater than 27 (indicating high perceived stress). For patients with AA, AD, and psoriasis, but not for those with HS, the more severe the condition, the higher the perceived stress scores. Less than 15% of patients had been offered psychological support, and only two out of three patients had accepted this support.
