The Quality of Life and Depressive Mood among Korean Patients with Hand Eczema

BACKGROUND Hand eczema is a disease frequently observed in dermatological practice. This condition has negative emotional, social, and psychological effects due to its impact on daily life and morphological appearance. Due to its considerable effect on the quality of life, this disease can lead to depression. However, not many studies have been performed on the quality of life and depression in hand eczema patients. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between the quality of life, depression, and disease severity in hand eczema patients in South Korea. METHODS A total of 138 patients with hand eczema participated in this study. The patients' quality of life was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Data on patients suffering from depression was obtained using the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II). The disease severity was determined during the clinical examination, according to the Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI). RESULTS We found positive associations between DLQI and HECSI scores (p<0.05). BDI-II scores had also statistically positive correlations with HECSI scores (p<0.05). DLQI and BDI-II scores both increased with disease severity. CONCLUSION Hand eczema negatively affected the quality of life and mood of patients relative to the disease severity. Therefore, we suggest that quality of life modification and emotional support should be included as a part of treatment for hand eczema.