Postal questionnaire study of disability in the community associated with psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE

To study the disability caused by psoriasis in patients recorded as having psoriasis by their general practitioner.

DESIGN

Postal questionnaire survey using the psoriasis disability index and SF-36.

SETTING

Five general practices in Cleveland.

SUBJECTS

Of 767 patients identified, 546 completed the questionnaire and 435 were eligible and gave informed consent.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Scores on SF-36 and psoriasis disability index.

RESULTS

The psoriasis disability index score was highly negatively correlated with all eight of the SF-36 health measures (P < 0.0001 for each), and the manual social classes scored higher than the non-manual social classes (P < 0.0001). The manual social class group scored significantly lower scores than the controls on all the SF-36 scales, and the non-manual group scored significantly lower for physical and mental role limitation (P < 0.0004 and P = 0.026), mental health (P < 0.0001), energy and vitality (P < 0.0004), and health perception (P < 0.0001). Also, the manual group had poorer health perception on five of the SF-36 variables when compared with the non-manual group.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with psoriasis have an overall lower perception of their quality of life than healthy controls, and those in the lower social classes suffer a greater degree of disability from their disease than the higher social classes.