JEADV ISSN 1468-3083 © 2008 The Authors 537 JEADV 2008, 22, 537 – 542 Journal compilation © 2008 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Blackwell Publishing Ltd ORIGINAL ARTICLE Temperament and character profile in psoriasis Temperament and character profile of patients with psoriasis A Kılıç,† MY Güleç,‡ Ü Gül,† H Güleç‡ † Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, 2nd Dermatology Clinic, Ankara, Turkey ‡ Specialist, Istanbul Erenköy Psychiatry Hospital, Psychiatry Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey Keywords character, psoriasis, temperament *Corresponding author, Onur Sokak. No: 47/11 Anittepe 06570, Ankara, Turkey, tel. +90 312 231 62 15; fax 90 312 430 60 00; E-mail: kilicarzu2004@yahoo.com; kilicarzu@gmail.com Received: 9 April 2007, accepted 11 July 2007 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2007.02460.x Abstract Background Psychosocial factors have been implicated as being important in the onset and/or exacerbation of psoriasis. 1 The aim of this study is to examine both the personality factors of patients with psoriasis and the correlations between temperament and character dimensions. Material and methods A total number of 105 psoriasis patients and 109 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Questionnaires including Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were administered individually. Both groups were evaluated in terms of depression, anxiety and characteristic features by using these psychological tests and compared statistically. The relationship between psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score and the BDI, BAI and TCI scales were also evaluated. Results The mean BDI score of the psoriasis group were significantly higher than the control group. The psoriasis group had significantly higher scores of harm avoidance and lower scores of being self-directedness than the control group. The duration of psoriasis and the PASI scores were not correlated with BDI and BAI scores. Conclusion The current study shows that psoriasis patients have distinctive temperament and character dimensions when compared with the control group. We suggest that evaluation and treatment of psoriasis should also include psychosomatic approaches in clinical practice. Introduction Psoriasis is a common, chronic inflammatory disorder of skin characterized by variable clinical features with a 1% to 2% prevalence in general population. 1,2 Although psoriasis has been known since ancient times, it has first been proposed as a unique entity in 1841 by Hebra. 3,4 Although the aetiological factors projected now have been known for hundred years, the exact etiopathogenesis has still not been totally clarified yet. Heredity is strongly involved in the pathogenesis; in addition, genetic susceptibility and various environmental factors have also been described. 3,5,6 Moreover, psoriasis is thought to be a psychosomatic disorder because stress plays an important role in the onset or further periods and manifestations of the disease. 1,2,5 Psychosocial factors have been implicated in the onset and/or exacerbation of psoriasis in 40% to 80% of cases. 2 Indeed, it has been suggested that stress or psychological distress is often advocated by patients as a causative or maintaining factor in the expression of the disease. Stress seems to be the most powerful inducer of the psoriatic lesions. 1,7 In another respect, it has been reported that psoriasis has the potential for significant psychological and social morbidity, and about one in four patients experience significant psychological distress. 1,7,8 Although there has been substantial evidence proving the role of stress in psoriasis for years, an exact association between the onset and/or exacerbation of psoriasis and stress has not been established. 1,2,7–9 The reason of this indefiniteness can be the difference of the effects created on each individual by stress rather than the individuals’ coping mechanisms with stress and the process that has been experienced. 1