Evaluation of psychological problem based on GHQ-28 Questionnaires in patients attending the dermatological clinics of Sari, Iran, 2004

Background and Psychological health is one of the most important social and scientific subjects in the world. Patients with somatic and particularly dermatological diseases are at risk of psychological disorder. This study was performed to evaluate psychological health problems of patients with skin disorder attending the dermatological clinics in Sari in 2004. This is a descriptive study performed on patients with dermatological diseases in Sari using GHQ-28 and demographic questionares. The data were analysed by chi-square test using SPSS program. 404 subjects (325, 80.4% female) were enrolled in this study. The mean age of the subjects was 28.72 years (range 15-65). Ïncidence of psychoccognitive disorders was 52/6% in patients aged 46-55 yr, 41.2% in womens, 40.8% in single patients, 46.2/% in rural subjects, 62.5% in illiterate or lessliterate people, 57.8% in jobless individual, 65/8% in subjects with positive past history of psychological disorders and 63.6% in patients with diffuse skin lesions. The most common diagnosis in the sample population was acne (28.2%), pigmentation disorder (20%), androgenetic alopecia (7.4%) and dermatitis (6.7%). The incidence of psychocongective disorders was 44.4% in patients with dermatitis, 43% in acne and 42% in pigmentation disorders. Statistically significant differences were observed between the psychic disorder and job & literacy level and positive past history of psychological diseases (p<0.05). However, there was no significant relation between psychic disorder and duration & type of skin diseases. Çonclusion: Ïn this study, 39.4 % of patients with skin disorders affected by psychological problems, this is higher than that reported from other countries. This result reveals a close relation between dermatological and psychological factors which should be considered by dermatologists in effective treatment of skin disorders.