Citation

Thorlacis L, Cohen AD, Gislason GH, Jemec GBE, Egeberg A. J. Invest. Dermatol. 2018; 138(1): 52-57.

Affiliation

Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hellerup, Denmark. Electronic address: alexander.egeberg@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1016/j.jid.2017.09.008

PMID

28942360

Abstract

Patients with skin disorders are considered at a higher risk of depression and anxiety than the background population. Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) may be particularly affected. We explored the association between HS and depression, anxiety, and completed suicides in the Danish national registries expanding to include data on suicidal behavior, using both a cross-sectional and a cohort study design. Both designs included 7,732 patients with HS and a background population of 4,354,137. The cohort study revealed that HS-patients had an increased risk of completed suicide after adjustment for confounding factors (11/7,732 vs. 2,904/4,354,137) (Hazard Ratio (HR) 2.42 (1.07-5.45); P=0.0334) and an increased risk of antidepressant drug use (HR 1.30 (1.17-1.45); P<0.0001). In contrast to previous studies the cross-sectional baseline data revealed non-significant association with depression (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.13 (0.87-1.47); P=0.36 and hospitalization due to depression (OR 1.32 (0.94-1.85); P=0.1083). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report on the increased risk of completed suicide among HS patients. The increased risk of completed suicide is not solely explained by lifestyle and demographic differences and the results highlight the profound impact HS has on the lives of patients with this often devastating disease.

Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en