Quality of life and psychiatric comorbidity in vitiligo: A hospital-based cross-sectional study from a tertiary care center in South India

Background: Vitiligo is a common, acquired, idiopathic, depigmenting disorder with a profound effect on the patient's quality of life (QoL). Purpose: The objective of the study was to measure the QoL of patients with vitiligo using the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and to assess psychiatric comorbidity in vitiligo patients using the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28). Methods: Sixty patients above 16 years of age with vitiligo were enrolled. Age, sex, occupation, marital status, duration of disease, extent of involvement, visibility of lesions, details of treatment, duration of treatment, and response to treatment were collected. Independent t-test and ANOVA were used to test for significance of continuous variables and Chi-square test for categorical variables. Correlation between DLQI and GHQ-28 was assessed using Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. Results: Females scored higher than males on overall GHQ-28 scores and in individual domains of anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression. Unmarried participants had higher scores compared to married subjects in all dimensions of DLQI and GHQ-28, indicating worse QoL and mental health. Conclusion: More than half of vitiligo patients had psychiatric comorbidity. There was a strong correlation between DLQI and GHQ-28 score, indicating strong association of QoL impairment with psychological problems. Proper counseling of patients of vitiligo along with specific treatment may be prudent.