Child With Psoriasis Negatively Impacts Mom's Quality of Life

Positive association seen between mothers’ Family Dermatology Life Quality Index scores and children’s Psoriasis Area Severity Index scores

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A child with psoriasis can have a negative effect on the mother’s quality of life, according to a study published online March 31 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

EmadEldin Abd Elmoneim Elgamal, M.D., from Al-Azhar University in Damietta, Egypt, and colleagues examined the effects of childhood psoriasis on mothers’ quality of life. Participants included 100 mothers of children with psoriasis (pustular psoriasis, scalp and flexural psoriasis, solitary plaque psoriasis, palmoplantar psoriasis, and psoriasis vulgaris [4, 4, 4, 12, and 76 percent, respectively]). Mothers’ quality of life was assessed using the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI).

The researchers found that mothers’ FDLQI scores varied from 3 to 25, with a mean of 13. There was a substantial direct link observed between a mother’s FDLQI score and their child’s Psoriasis Area Severity Index score and age (r = 0.615 and 0.399, respectively), but no link was seen with the duration of psoriasis. The highest FDLQI scores were seen for scalp and flexural psoriasis and pustular psoriasis.

“Childhood psoriasis may be a highly time-consuming and financially burdensome issue for relatives, leading to substantial emotional distress,” the authors write. “So, psychological support strategies must be offered to both the pediatric patients, and to the family members.”