Evaluation of Psychopathology and Quality of Life in Patients with Anogenital Wart Compared to Control Group

Anogenital warts (AGW) are one of the most common venereal diseases. Psychosocial complications and quality of life (QoL) of AGW patients have been considered only in recent years. Herein, the QoL and psychopathology in patients with AGW are evaluated. In total, 37 AGW patients and 37 healthy controls were recruited in the present cross-sectional study. All participants were provided with the symptom checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R) and short-form (SF-36) questionnaires. All analyses were performed using the SPSS software, version 16.0.1 for Windows. QoL was not significantly different between the study groups (P=0.12). The data showed that mental health, general health, and social functioning were significantly decreased in AGW patients (P<0.05). In addition, AGW patients were significantly more depressed and anxious than the control group (P=0.01 and P=0.04, respectively). AGW has adverse effects on psychological and QoL elements of the infected individuals. Psychological factors should be carefully considered when treating a patient with the HPV virus; hence, referral to a psychiatrist seems mandatory in these cases.