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Subject Area

Neuropsychiatry

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objectives The aim was to investigate whether psoriasis is affected by the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Background Psoriasis is an immune-mediated dermatological disorder with psychological and social morbidity. Stress plays an important role in psoriasis, including the negative somato–psychiatric rebound occurring in the disease. Patients and methods This prospective, analytic, cohort study was conducted at the Neuropsychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, and included 64 patients with psoriasis attending Outpatient Clinic of Dermatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University Hospitals, between November 2020 and October 2021, after approval from the Research and Ethics Committee. Patients were randomized into two equal groups: studied patient group, which was additionally treated with the SSRI escitalopram, and studied control group, which was not treated. All participants underwent history taking, general medical examination, and psychiatric and dermatological assessments by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Beck Depression Inventory II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the WHO quality of life questionnaire-shortened form (WHOQOL–BREF) at baseline and after 3 months. Results Patients treated with the SSRI escitalopram had a significant reduction in mean scores of depression (P < 0.001), anxiety (P < 0.001), and psoriasis severity (P = 0.014) and improvement in overall QOL score (P = 0.024) as well as other QOL domains, but there was a nonsignificant difference in switching from systemic to nonsystemic psoriasis treatment (P = 0.590). Conclusion Our study suggests that psychiatric intervention with antidepressant medications may improve perceived symptom severity, mood symptoms, QOL, and compliance to treatment without necessarily affecting psoriasis treatment.

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