Quality-of-life effects of common dermatological diseases

Abstract

Chronic skin conditions can impact a patient's quality of life beyond the skin. This manuscript gives an overview of the negative impact of common chronic skin conditions, such as psoriasis, vitiligo, acne, and eczema measured by the validated quality of life instruments. Literature has shown that patients with vitiligo and acne are mostly affected by their psychosocial wellbeing, whereas psoriasis and atopic dermatitis patients are affected by both physical and psychosocial well-being. Effective treatments of the above skin conditions correlate with positive quality of life outcomes. Further studies are recommended to better understand factors affecting quality of life.