Along with its effects on the joints and skin, psoriatic arthritis can affect a person's mental health. People with psoriatic arthritis are more likely to experience depression. Psoriatic disease can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being.
There's a strong link between psoriatic arthritis and severe depression, with one study noting that roughly one in five people with psoriatic arthritis may also have mild depression. This may be related to the disease process itself.
If you have an autoimmune disorder like psoriatic arthritis, you're also at higher risk for neurological and psychiatric conditions. Experts think this may be because the inflammation that causes your skin and joint symptoms can also affect your brain and nervous system.
Schizophrenia (2.82%) and suicidal ideation (12.7%) are found to be more prevalent among psoriasis patients than among the general population.
Psoriasis is associated with a variety of psychosocial symptoms, including: Feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment or helplessness. Poor self-esteem and low self-worth, sometimes leading to social isolation. Sexual dysfunction, due to self-consciousness or painful lesions.
The relationship between psoriasis and mental health can be a vicious cycle. Research has shown that psoriasis can contribute to or worsen various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and more.
Distress related to the disease may lead to a significant decrease in quality of life [2], and in extreme cases may be a cause of depression or even suicide [3]. Patients with psoriasis are also at increased risk of other comorbidities including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation [4,5].
If you have psoriatic arthritis (PsA), you know it isn't just tough on the body; it also takes a toll on your emotions. In fact, depression often goes hand in hand with this disease. You're more than twice as likely to become depressed than someone who has psoriasis alone. Most people who have PsA also have psoriasis.
Emotional impact of psoriasis
The effect that psoriasis can have on physical appearance means low self-esteem and anxiety are common among people with the condition. This can lead to depression, especially if the psoriasis gets worse.
Recent research shows that many people with psoriasis actually have a Type D personality—these individuals typically experience more negative emotions. It's estimated that almost 40% of psoriasis patients have a Type D personality, compared to only 24% of healthy individuals.
Over time, this inflammation can damage blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. People with PsA have a still higher risk of heart disease than those with psoriasis alone, according to the authors of a 2018 review .
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are the main signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. They can affect any part of the body, including your fingertips and spine, and can range from relatively mild to severe. In both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, disease flares can alternate with periods of remission.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) has also been reported as a comorbidity in individuals with PsO, and vice versa. This link between the two diseases may be somewhat unsurprising as both PsO and MS are inflammatory disorders and exhibit similarities in genetic risk variants and inflammatory pathways.
Life is different when you live with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). More than just physical, pain from PsA can cause feelings like anger, hopelessness, sadness, and anxiety.
Adults with arthritis are more likely to have anxiety or depression symptoms than those who do not have arthritis. Of the 58.5 million adults with arthritis, over 10 million report symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Generally psoriatic arthritis is a mild condition. With proper treatment and help from others you can relieve joint pain and stiffness and keep skin problems under control. Some people however have a more serious disease and require combinations of medications to control symptoms and prevent joint damage.
Psoriasis is a chronic (long-lasting) disease of the immune system. It cannot be cured. This means that most people have psoriasis for life.
Treatment for Psoriasis and Depression
For example, some drugs doctors use to treat psoriasis, like guselkumab (Tremfya) and ixekizumab (Taltz), also can help with symptoms of depression. And there's evidence that some antidepressant drugs can help with psoriasis.
According to research, both psoriasis and PsA can cause brain fog or MCI. A 2018 study notes a link between psoriasis and MCI.
Long-Term, Active PsA
Overtime, PsA may start to cause joint damage. In the small joints—fingers and toes—a person may clearly see joint deformity that has resulted from ongoing inflammation. Joint damage can limit your ability to perform tasks of daily living and to participate in activities you once enjoyed.
Psoriatic arthritis can be extremely painful and debilitating without proper treatment, and quality of life can be greatly affected. In some people, PsA can be disabling. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory form of arthritis that affects the joints and bones as well as the skin.
Outlook. Like psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis is a long-term condition that can get progressively worse. In severe cases, there is a risk of the joints becoming permanently damaged or deformed, which may require surgical treatment.
Overall, a significant link emerged between psoriasis and an increased dementia risk (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.14-1.35 P<0.001). The incidence rate of dementia in 1,000 person-years was 15.0 in psoriasis patients and 11.9 in the non-psoriasis cohort.
Some people find that psoriatic arthritis leads to another kind of fatigue: brain fog. People have reported problems with concentration, memory and other thinking skills. In part, this fuzzy-headed feeling may be the result of not getting enough sleep at night because of chronic pain.
However, increased inflammatory cytokines in the skin enter the bloodstream and get into the brain, where they can affect neurotransmitter function. The inflammatory process may decrease availability of neurotransmitters.