PRINCETON, N.J., March 11, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data from the 2008 Psoriasis Patient Study from Consumer Health Sciences, were presented at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Francisco on March 10, 2009. Findings demonstrate the patient misconceptions about psoriasis and the significant impact that psoriasis, its diagnosis and its treatment have on patient Psychological Functioning and Quality of Life. The data further showed that with increased severity of the condition comes increased reported depression and anxiety, increased work productivity loss and increased rates of absenteeism and disability.
"While we anticipated worse outcomes for patients with severe psoriasis, results also showed that even patients with moderate psoriasis were impacted in their psychological well being and their ability to perform daily activities," said Kathy Annunziata, Senior Director at Consumer Health Sciences and co-author of the poster presentation. "The results highlight that Psoriasis is more than just a skin condition. It is a truly debilitating disease that can impact many of the most fundamental aspects of a patient's life."
The results were based on an analysis of 1,006 Psoriasis patients from the 2008 Psoriasis Patient Study. Respondents were at least 18 years old and stratified based on age, gender and disease severity. Psychological functioning and quality of life were evaluated via the Skindex-16, the Dermatology Quality of Life Index and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment scale. Additionally, patients also reported co-morbid conditions, disease severity, demographics, disease history, and measures related to their physician visits and treatment history.
About Consumer Health Sciences
Consumer Health Sciences, part of the Kantar Healthcare operating company within WPP, is a leading source of disease-specific consumer health information for the pharmaceutical and life science industries. Its flagship product, the annual National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) database, is the largest self-reported patient database of its kind, providing market sizing, demographic, attitudinal, quality of life, resource utilization and treatment information in more than 140 therapeutic categories in the U.S., Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.chsinternational.com.
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