Exploring the Experiences of Patients with Psoriasis: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease that leads to mental complications followed by the patient’s isolation. Therefore, understanding patients’ perceptions of this disease can be effective in planning their care. Objectives: The present study sought to explore the experiences of patients with psoriasis. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenological approach within 2018 - 2019 on psoriasis patients admitted to the skin clinics of hospitals in Zahedan, Iran. The participants were 10 patients with psoriasis who were selected via purposive sampling. The data were collected using in-depth and individual semi-structured interviews, and data analysis was performed simultaneously with data collection using Colaizzi’s content analysis model. Results: The main themes describing the experiences of patients with psoriasis were the progression of the disease in the shadow of the ignorance of the medical staff, physical and psychological suffering, and the ominous shadow of fear of the disease recurrence. Conclusions: The results showed that the progression of the disease due to inadequate knowledge of the medical staff is an important challenge for patients with psoriasis. Furthermore, the recurrence of the disease can be a serious threat to trust in the current treatments of this disease. Physical and mental suffering can lead to the isolation of these patients and makes bearing the burden of the disease very challenging for the affected individuals. Therefore, psychiatrists, doctors, and nurses should try to raise the patients’ morale and improve their body image, self-confidence, and physical care by increasing their awareness of patients’ experiences and understanding them.