Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Persons With Psoriasis in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Background Psoriasis is a persistent, non-contagious, inflammatory skin illness characterized by remission and aggravation. Further research is needed on the social awareness of psoriasis in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the western region. This study aimed to investigate misconceptions, negative prejudices, and discriminatory behaviors toward individuals with psoriasis. Material and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in four cities (Jeddah, Makkah, Madina, and Taif) in the western region of Saudi Arabia. The participants were ≥18 years of age. Patients with psoriasis were excluded. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed through social media applications in July 2023. Frequencies and percentages were used to express all categorical standard deviations, and the mean was used to express quantitative data (mean ± SD). The odds ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results This study included 951 participants. Most of the study participants were 20-29 years old (382; 40.2%). A total of 282 (29.7%) participants were men, and 669 (70.3%) were women. The highest frequency of Desire for Social Distance scale items indicated that they would not like to have patients with psoriasis in their homes (51%). Compassion had the highest percentage of endorsement among all emotions on the Emotional Rating Scale (51.4%). On the Myth Endorsement Scale, the most popular response was that psoriasis is caused by poor hygiene (46.1%). Conclusion Although most of our population has heard of psoriasis, there is a notable deficiency in the comprehension and awareness of the illness. This highlights the necessity of raising public knowledge about psoriasis, which can be accomplished by educating the public through campaigns, lectures, and seminars at academic institutions, and via brochures and media. Therefore, false attitudes, prejudices, and discriminatory behaviors toward psoriasis could be minimized.