Parents of children with psoriasis experience significant negative quality-of-life issues, according to Dr. Megha Tollefson and her associates.
In interviews with 31 parents of children with psoriasis, four themes impacting quality of life emerged. Parental health and self-care were negatively affected, with 52% reporting affected sleep patterns and 35% reporting difficulty in maintaining self-care. Mental health issues were common as well, with 65% of parents reporting concern over their child’s condition and nearly half of parents reporting excess stress and sadness, anxiety, or depression.
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Family and social functions were adversely affected as well, with parents commonly citing financial difficulty, tension with their spouse or significant other, difficulty in other relationships, a lack of awareness regarding psoriasis, and the burden of care. The final theme highlighted was the sacrifice of personal well-being and life pursuits, with 29% of parents reporting career impacts, 65% reporting a need for special accommodation for their child, and 48% reporting a feeling of having no time.
“The results of this study are a testament to the pervasiveness of childhood psoriasis in a parent’s life. Development of support strategies is recommended for children with psoriasis and their families,” Dr. Tollefson and her coauthors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., concluded.
Find the full study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2016.09.014).