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Internalized Stigma in Pediatric Psoriasis: A Comparative Multicenter Study
Erkan Alpsoy1, Mualla Polat2, Ibrahim Halil Yavuz3
1Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.
Annals of Dermatology
|April 29, 2021
Summary
Internalized stigma in pediatric psoriasis patients is as high as in adults, impacting quality of life and general health. Unlike adults, stigma in children is linked to the disease itself, not its severity or visible signs.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Internalized stigma, defined as adopting societal negative attitudes towards illness, remains understudied in pediatric psoriasis.
- This research addresses a critical gap by examining internalized stigma in children with psoriasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate internalized stigma in pediatric psoriasis patients.
- To compare internalized stigma and its influencing factors between pediatric and adult psoriasis patients.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, cross-sectional study involving 125 pediatric and 1,235 adult psoriasis patients.
- Utilized Psoriasis Internalized Stigma Scale (PISS), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Perceived Health Status (PHS), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12.
Main Results:
- Pediatric patients exhibited higher stigma resistance, while adults showed greater alienation and stereotype endorsement.
- Internalized stigma strongly correlated with lower quality of life (DLQI) and poorer perceived health (PHS).
- In pediatric patients, high stigma was linked to body mass index, but not disease severity or location; in both groups, low income correlated with higher stigma.
Conclusions:
- Internalized stigma in pediatric psoriasis is comparable to adults, significantly affecting quality of life and general psychological well-being.
- In contrast to adults, internalized stigma in children is primarily driven by the presence of psoriasis itself, irrespective of disease severity or visible manifestations.
