Improving Resilience Could Improve Quality of Life in HS Patients

Higher levels of resilience were associated with smaller decreases in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and depression, according to a recent study.

HS can have significant negative effects on patients’ HRQOL, and many patients with HS also have depression.
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In order to examine the impact of resilience and depression on HRQOL in patients with HS, researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of 154 individuals in the United States and Denmark from June 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017. All participants were 18 years old or older and had visited 1 or 2 referral centers in the past 2 years for HS.

Participants completed 4 questionnaires: a sociodemographic and clinical characteristic questionnaire, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Dermatology Life Quality Index. The main outcome of the study was the HRQOL as measured by the Dermatology Life Quality Index.

Overall, 55 patients had depression and 32 patients had borderline depressive symptoms. Results indicated that resilience moderated depression but did not mediate the association between depressive symptoms and HRQOL. Resilience scores were significant associated with depressive symptoms, and depressive symptom score was significantly associated with lower HRQOL, but both the direct and indirect association of resilience with HRQOL were not significant.

“Patients with higher resilience levels experienced a smaller decrease in HRQOL as depressive symptoms increased. Because the findings suggest that resilience can be taught, there is an opportunity to develop a resiliency training program and investigate its role in stress levels and depressive symptoms, as well as in HRQOL and disease activity.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Kirby JS, Butt M, Esmann S, et al. Association of resilience with depression and health-related quality of life for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa [published online November 8, 2017]. JAMA Derm. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.3596.