Anxiety and depression in patients with pityriasis rosea compared to patients with tinea versicolor

Few researchers have specifically evaluated how the quality of life of patients with pityriasis rosea (PR) and tinea versicolor (TV) are affected. There are even less studies exploring the psychological status of these patients. The objective of this study was to investigate and compare quality of life and psychological status of patients with PR and TV.

Thirty-six patients with pityriasis rosea and 43 patients with tinea versicolor (N = 79) were selected for the study. All patients were required to complete Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD), Hospital Anxiety and Depression-Depression (HAD-D), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression-Anxiety (HAD-A) scales.

Both groups did not differ from each other with regard to DLQI, HAD-D, HAD-A, and total HAD scores (p > 0.05). With regard to cutoff points of HAD-A, 11 patients in the PR group and 15 patients in the TV group had anxiety. The number of patients with depression in pityriasis rosea and tinea versicolor groups were 11 and 13 respectively. Depression and anxiety scores were highly correlated with DLQI scores in both patients with PR and TV.

Results of the present study indicate that patients with PR and TV are at risk for psychopathology. Uncertainties about the etiology and length of recovery period in PR and location of disease to visible parts and recurrent nature of the disease in TV groups might have affected the patients' psychological status.