Vitiligo is a persistent chronic disorder of skin pigmentation. People of all ages, skin type and gender can develop vitiligo and it is estimated about 1 out of 100 people, around the world, has vitiligo. In addition to environmental and genetic factors, it is thought that psychological trauma may occur before vitiligo develops and contribute to the cause of the condition. Further, recent research has shown people with vitiligo are more likely to experience depressive symptoms than those without vitiligo. This finding could be due to the unpredictable prognosis of vitiligo, the current lack of a cure or the skin playing an important role in self-perception. We therefore propose to examine the risk of depression and anxiety in adults diagnosed with vitiligo compared to the general population using routinely collected data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. We will determine whether the relative risk of depression and anxiety varies by age, sex, and other patient characteristics such as ethnicity. Reliable population-based estimates of the psychological burden associated with vitiligo are important to gain a better understanding of the condition and to ensure patients are provided with the appropriate psychological support following diagnosis.
There is currently a lack of large population-based studies providing reliable estimates of the risk psychological co-morbidity associated with vitiligo in the UK. It is thought that psychological trauma may precede onset of vitiligo in some cases and contribute to the aetiology of the condition but trauma may also follow diagnosis due to the cosmetic burden, lack of cure and unpredictable prognosis of vitiligo. The aim of this study is to determine the risk of depression and anxiety in people with vitiligo in the UK before and after diagnosis of vitiligo. We will use Hospital Episode Statistics linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink records to establish a cohort of people 18 years or older who have a first clinical diagnosis of vitiligo between 1st April 1997 and 31st December 2015. We will use logistic regression to quantify the risk of depression and anxiety 2 years prior and 2 years after diagnosis in people with vitiligo compared to people without the condition adjusting for potential confounders such as other skin and long-term conditions and examine how this risk varies by age of diagnosis, sex, ethnicity and social deprivation.
Depression; Anxiety.
Sonia Gran - Chief Investigator - University of Nottingham
Sonia Gran - Corresponding Applicant - University of Nottingham
Alia Ahmed - Collaborator - West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Andrew Thompson - Collaborator - University of Sheffield
Jonathan Batchelor - Collaborator - Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Lu Ban - Collaborator - University of Nottingham
Matthew Grainge - Collaborator - University of Nottingham
Miriam Santer - Collaborator - University of Southampton
HES Admitted Patient Care;Patient Level Index of Multiple Deprivation;Practice Level Index of Multiple Deprivation