PR98496

STOCKHOLM, Oct. 29, 2022, /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

World Psoriasis Day is October 29th. Each year, the global psoriatic disease

community unites for action to raise awareness of psoriatic disease. This

year's theme is mental health.

1 in 10 people with psoriatic disease is diagnosed with clinical depression.[1]

As many as 48% experience anxiety.[2] The psychological impact is increasingly

recognized as a significant part of life with this illness.

Indeed, there are many logical reasons why psoriatic disease triggers

depression and anxiety. People who experience this chronic, visible illness

frequently battle stigma and shame. The symptoms can be considered unsightly,

and many mistakenly assume that the disease is contagious. Pain and discomfort

are another daily battle for people with itching skin or joint inflammation.

Added health expenses combined with decreased earnings due to disability and

discrimination further contribute to financial stress. Unpredictable flares

hold individuals on constant alert. For all these reasons and more, 81% report

that psoriatic disease takes a toll on relationships, intimacy, and ultimately,

happiness.[3]

Yet external factors are not the only cause of depression and anxiety with

psoriatic disease. In fact, the same inflammation that causes psoriatic disease

can also generate endogenous depression and anxiety. It is for this reason that

people living with psoriatic disease often report feelings of being caught in a

vicious cycle. Psoriatic disease causes depression and anxiety. Anxiety and

depression, in turn, worsen psoriatic disease.

For World Psoriasis Day 2022, IFPA, the global organization fighting psoriatic

disease, is uniting for action to improve mental health for everybody living

with the condition.

Frida Dunger Johnsson, Executive Director of IFPA, explains, "When

dermatologists and rheumatologists become aware that their patient's suffering

goes deeper than the physical symptoms, they should be empowered to provide

assistance. In some cases, that may mean updating the course of treatment. We

know that appropriate treatment reduces inflammation and improves the

psychological impact as well as the physical one."

Join IFPA to share messages about mental health and psoriatic disease. Visit

psoriasisday.org to get involved.

[1] Dowlatshahi, E. A., Wakkee, M., Arends, L. R. & Nijsten, T. The prevalence

and odds of depressive symptoms and clinical depression in psoriasis patients:

A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Investigative Dermatology

134, 1542–1551 (2014).

[2] Fleming, P. et al. The prevalence of anxiety in patients with psoriasis: a

systematic review of observational studies and clinical trials. Journal of the

European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology vol. 31 798–807 (2017).

[3] IFPA | Psoriasis and Beyond: The global psoriatic disease study.

https://ifpa-pso.com/projects/psoriasis-and-beyond.

Photo

-https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1930310/Vicious_Cycle_World_Psoriasis_Day_2022

.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1930311/IFPA_WPD_2022_Logo.jpg

SOURCE: IFPA