Depression prevalent in children, adults with hidradenitis suppurativa

Depression is not uncommon among children, adolescents, and adults with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), reports a study, adding that periodic screening for depression may be necessary.

The authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis to compare the prevalence of depression in HS patients with that of controls. A total of 38,140 adult and 1,162 paediatric HS patients, as well as controls, were identified using data from electronic records.

Depression prevalence among adults with HS was 30.0 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 29.6–30.5) compared with 16.9 percent (95 percent CI, 16.7–17.1) among controls. In children and adolescents with HS, the prevalence of depression was 11.7 percent (95 percent CI, 10.0–13.7) compared with 4.1 percent (95 percent CI, 3.6–4.7) in control participants.

Adjusted analyses revealed that adults and children/adolescents with HS had 1.26 (95 percent CI, 1.25–1.28; p<0.001) and 1.42 (95 percent CI, 0.999–2.01; p=0.051) times the odds of having depression, respectively, compared with controls.

Of note, the influence of disease severity on the outcome was not investigated.

An earlier study suggested that the extent of disease rather than severity plays a role in reducing the quality of life in HS patients. Those with a greater number of areas of involvement were more likely to experience both chronic pain and depression. [Dermatology 2016;232:692-695]

HS is a debilitating chronic disease that leads to inflammation and abscess formation in the skin, along with a malodorous discharge. Pain is a major aspect of HS that affects quality of life.