Psychological distress and investment in one's appearance in patients with pemphigus.

BACKGROUND

Pemphigus vulgaris is a chronic disease not currently curable. Physical involvement and the impact of chronic therapies can lead patients to changes in psychological and relational areas.

OBJECTIVES

To provide a measure of psychological distress, dysfunctional investment in one's appearance, and their relationship.

METHODS

Self-administered questionnaires (ASI, HADS) were given to 74 pemphigus inpatients.

RESULTS

Strong associations between psychological distress and dysfunctional investment in one's appearance were observed [adjusted odds ratio (OR)=7.36, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.20-45.11; OR 5.38, 95% CI 0.81-35.87, respectively, for appearance stereotyping and body-image vulnerability], together with a perceived high disease severity (OR 6.03, 95% CI 1.90-23.46).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results are compatible with the idea that some forms of psychological distress could be in part due to one's perception of his/her own body image.