Prevalence and predictors of depression among dermatology clinic patients in a teaching hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

CONTEXT

Depression in patients with a skin condition can lead to severe consequences that affect the quality of life. To our knowledge, the estimated prevalence of depression in patients who visited dermatological clinics in Jeddah remains unknown.

AIMS

To assess the prevalence of depression among patients with dermatological conditions and evaluate the association between clinical and demographic characteristics and depressive symptoms.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted among dermatological patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used for screening depression.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Chi-square test and odds ratios (ORs) were used to determine the association among variables.

RESULTS

The study included 273 participants. More than two-thirds (194) of the participants were women (71.1%). Depressive symptoms were prevalent in 43 (15.8%) participants. Depression was the most prevalent among patients with psoriasis (39.5%, < 0.001), followed by those with acne (30.2% = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Psychosocial assessment should be addressed when evaluating and treating dermatological diseases. Screening tools, including PHQ-9, can facilitate the early detection of depressive symptoms and improve clinical outcomes. Addressing psychosocial aspects of skin conditions may help in reducing exacerbation of symptoms, mainly for conditions aggravated by stress, including dermatitis and psoriasis.