A recent cross-sectional study has revealed that psychiatric comorbidities are prevalent in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The study found that 27.4% of individuals with HS had a coexisting psychiatric condition. Affective disorders and anxiety/neurotic disorders were among the most common psychiatric comorbidities observed.
The researchers aimed to explore the rates of psychological and psychiatric comorbidities in patients with HS, considering the already high occurrence of psychiatric comorbidities in dermatologic conditions. Patients (n=667) were recruited from a dermatology outpatient clinic and provided relevant demographic and clinical data through clinical examinations and interviews.
The study utilized various measurements to assess disease severity and well-being impacts, including Hurley staging, the number of lesions, the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System, the Dermatology Life Quality Index, and the Visual Analog Scale.
Out of all the patients, 27.4% had at least one diagnosed psychiatric comorbidity. Among these, 16.2% had an affective disorder, while 10.6% had anxiety or neurotic disorders. Additionally, some patients had multiple coexisting psychiatric conditions. The comorbidities observed in the study included schizophrenia or psychosis, ADHD or Tourette syndrome, personality disorders, eating disorders, autism, and other unspecified conditions.
Furthermore, the study found that some psychiatric comorbidities were associated with non-psychiatric comorbidities. For instance, patients with psychiatric comorbidities were more likely to have comorbid asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patients with schizophrenia as a comorbidity were more likely to have acne compared to those without any psychiatric comorbidities. However, patients with comorbid psychiatric conditions were less likely to experience inflammatory bowel disease.
The study emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach and increased clinician awareness in the treatment of HS patients with coexisting psychiatric comorbidities.
Source: Holgersen N, Nielsen VW, Ring HC, et al. Psychiatric co‐morbidity in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: A cross‐sectional study of clinical characteristics and burden of disease. JEADV Clin Pract. Published online September 12, 2023. doi:10.1002/jvc2.222
