Depression, anxiety and health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with vitiligo.

BACKGROUND

Only a limited number of studies have studied the relationship between vitiligo and psychiatric morbidity and quality of life (QOL) in children and adolescents.

AIM: To determine levels of depression, anxiety and QOL in children and adolescents with vitiligo.

METHODS

In total, 41 outpatients with vitiligo aged 8-18 years and a control group were assessed using the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventories for Children (STAI-C) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Parent and Child versions (PedsQL-P and PedsQL-C). Both study and control groups were divided into child (8-12 years old) and adolescent (13-18 years old) groups to exclude the effect of puberty on psychological condition.

RESULTS

Children with vitiligo scored higher on the CDI compared with controls; no other significant differences were found between the groups. Vitiligo severity correlated negatively with psychosocial score on PedsQL-P in the adolescent group. Duration of the illness was positively related to physical health score on PedsQL-P in the child group. Involvement of the face, head or neck in boys and involvement of the genital area and legs in girls were related to impaired QOL.

CONCLUSIONS

Vitiligo relates to the severity of depression in children, but a similar effect was not observed in adolescents. We suggest that the location of the lesions is a significant factor that leads to QOL impairment, possibly because of its effects on identity development.