Effect of Age at Diagnosis on Chronic Quality of Life and Long-Term Outcomes of Individuals with Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin disorder that frequently begins in the pediatric and young adult population but imposes physical and psychosocial burdens over a lifetime. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the effect of age at diagnosis on the lifetime outcomes of psoriasis patients. Individuals with psoriasis (N=114) completed a questionnaire regarding disabilities, relationships, education, finances, and medical outcomes. Responses were compared among quartiles of age at diagnosis and regression analyses were performed. Those diagnosed at a younger age were more likely to have a greater lifetime Dermatology Life Quality Index (LT DLQI) (p<0.001), have felt depressed (p=0.003), believe that psoriasis had caused their depression (p<0.001), experience lifetime sleep problems (p=0.004), use recreational drugs (p<0.001), hide their psoriasis over their lifetime (p<0.001), and experience more severe lifetime discrimination in social settings (p=0.002). Early onset psoriasis is associated with depression, social discrimination, and greater LT DLQI.