Quality of Life and Emotional State in Vitiligo in an Estonian Sample: Comparison with Psoriasis and Healthy Controls

Abstract

The impact of vitiligo on quality of life is controversial. The aim of this study was to observe the impairment of quality of life and emotional state in adults with vitiligo compared with subjects with psoriasis and unaffected controls. The study group comprised 54 subjects with vitiligo, 57 with psoriasis and 57 unaffected controls. All subjects were examined and interviewed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Emotional State questionnaires. The total mean DLQI score in vitiligo was 4.7, compared with 0.6 in healthy controls (p<0.001) and 13.1 in psoriasis (p<0.001). In vitiligo, females experienced a greater impact on feelings and men experienced a greater impact on relationships. Lower quality of life in vitiligo was associated with active stage of the disease, extension of pigment loss, depigmentation on the hands, and earlier onset of disease. The results demonstrate that vitiligo has less impact on quality of life than psoriasis.