The negative impact of psoriasis on the workplace

Abstract

Background: The health‐related quality of life and economic impact of psoriasis has been documented. However, the negative impact of psoriasis on the workplace is poorly understood. Aim/Methods: Through anonymous surveys from 30 subjects of each of three psoriasis severity groups we aim to quantify the workplace impact experienced by psoriasis patients and factors that may contribute to this impact. Data were collected using several previously validated measures including the Work Productivity Assessment Index (WPAI), SF‐8, Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) and past medical/psoriasis history. Results: Psoriasis patients experienced negative impact at work as measured by the WPAI; this impact is directly associated with disease severity. The other instruments confirmed the negative impact of psoriasis though the degree of impact did not always correlate with disease severity or work impact. Owing to the relatively small numbers, the significance of these findings is not certain. Conclusions: This preliminary study finds that psoriasis is associated with a reduction in work productivity and social functioning; this may explain the relatively high cost of this disease on both a macro‐ and microeconomic level. As there was a lack of significant trends in this study, formal inferences are limited and further investigation is warranted.