Stigmatisation, Avoidance Behaviour and Difficulties in Coping are Common Among Adult Patients with Vitiligo

Abstract

Vitiligo is a non-contagious skin disorder with loss of pigmentation, often impairing patients’ well-being. This study used Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Adjustment to Chronic Skin Disorders Questionnaire (ACS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and additional questions to explore quality of life (QoL), coping, depression and stigmatisation and included 96 patients with vitiligo and 23 controls. Stigmatisation was common: 87/96 patients (90%) reported questions/approaches, 23/96 (24%) experienced nasty comments. Sixty-four out of 96 (66.7%) had avoided situations because of vitiligo or concealed their white spots. Sixty patients (62.5%) implied psychological stress as influential on disease’s course. Patients scored higher in all questionnaires than controls (DLQI=4.9/1.6, ACS-social anxiety/avoidance=36.9/22.1, ACS-helplessness=27.3/16.0, ACS-anxious-depressive mood=19.4/15.6), except BDI (6.8/7.3). QoL of 65 patients (67.7%) was hardly impaired, 70 (72.9%) were not depressed. Treatment with pro-pseudocatalase PC-KUS reduced social anxiety/avoidance, anxious-depressive mood and depression. Patients without low-key stigmatisation scored highest in DLQI and social anxiety/avoidance. Avoidance and concealing behaviour correlated with all questionnaires’ scores.