Psychological status in patients with chronic urticaria

Background: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common dermatological disease that induces a substantial burden on individuals’ life. Also if one’s self-image changes (which usually happen in patients with dermatological diseases), it leads to anxiety or other various symptoms. We aimed to compare the psychological scales in patients with CU with non-dermatological individuals with the purpose of early diagnosis and appropriate psychiatric consult. Methods: In this study, psychological status of 30 patients with the diagnosis of chronic urticaria (lasting for more than 6 weeks) and 30 controls, chosen among the hospital staff were evaluated. Evaluation was carried out by using standard General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Psychosomatic disorders, anxiety, depression and social functions were assessed. Data were analyzed by SPSS v. 16, and the frequency indices and Chi- Square test. Results: Although from 30 patients with CU, 63.3% suffered from psychological disorders, this prevalence was estimated 46.6% in the control group. Altogether, psychological disorders in patients with CU were significantly (p=0.007) more prevalent than individuals without dermatological problems. Anxiety was the most common reported disorder. Conclusion: In our study, the most prevalent psychiatric disorders included anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, social dysfunction and depression, sequentially. It seems that depression is the least significant psychiatric disorder among patients who suffer from urticaria. Also, anxiety was the most reported disorder among them, which may be considered as the primary cause of the disease or it may be secondary to the disease process. This theory clarifies the importance of dermatologists and psychiatrists cooperation.