Socio-medical Aspects on Previously Hospitalized Psoriatics in a Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Socio-medical circumstances have been studied in previously hospitalized psoriatics living in a metropolitan area. The patterns seen in male and female psoriatics differed. The males were less often gainfully employed, belonged to a lower social class, and had lower incomes than their contrasts. The differences were mostly small, however. The females, on the other hand, were more often gainfully employed, belonged to a higher social class, and had higher incomes than their contrasts. The differences were relatively large and were of statistical significance. In the material studied there was also a marked difference according to sex as regards the severity of psoriasis. The severity of the course of the disease was more severe in the males than in the females. The subjective complaints, however, were assessed almost equal in males and females. The social variables studied could not be convincingly related to the severity of psoriasis or to the subjective assessment of complaints due to the skin disease. Factors other than psoriasis per se were considered more significant, such as primarily varying ability amongst psoriatics to utilize the available medical facilities. Apart from psoriasis itself, the greater morbidity in the psoriatics as compared with their contrasts indicated that psoriatics were more likely to seek hospital treatment for psoriasis if they also had other diseases.