Worsening Quality of Life in Young Adult, Highly Educated, and Married Female Patients with Vitiligo: A Hospital-Based Case Control Study in Taiwan

Abstract

Vitiligo is an acquired chronic depigmentation disorder that can have a negative impact on the quality of life (QoL). This is especially true for patients with non-white skin. Only few studies have investigated the QoL of Asian patients with vitiligo. We aimed to investigate the QoL in Taiwanese vitiligo patients and identify the factors that influence their QoL. The cross-sectional study recruited 100 vitiligo patients and 100 controls with general skin diseases in the Department of Dermatology of Changhua Christian Hospital. Data were obtained using a structured questionnaire for demographic information and modified Skindex-21 instruments. The QoL was not significantly different between vitiligo patients and controls. Among the vitiligo patients, adults exhibited deteriorated emotional levels and total QoL as compared with non-adults. Married females reported greater levels of emotional disturbance than the unmarried ones. A higher educational level and shorter history of disease were associated with greater emotional impacts. The patients with a generalized type of vitiligo suffered more in total QoL. After multivariate adjustment, the young adult patients aged 20–39 were associated with poorer total QoL. It is suggested that vitiligo patients who are aged between 20 and 39, are married females, are highly educated, have a shorter disease history, and suffer from the generalized type of this disease demonstrate more deterioration in their life quality compared with other vitiligo patients. Care providers should tailor the psychological counseling and treatment accordingly.

Comparing quality of life, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and associated factors in vitiligo and alopecia areata patients

“…reported lower QoL in married vitiligo patients compared to single individuals. In a recent study about QoL in vitiligo, Yang et al 31 . reported that married female vitiligo patients had lower QoL, particularly in the emotional domain.…”

Vitiligo and depression: an observational study in patients attending tertiary care centre

“…9,10 The strong association between female gender and reduced QoL corroborates existing literature suggesting that women with vitiligo may experience heightened psychosocial distress due to societal beauty standards and cultural norms. [11][12][13] Active disease refers to a clinical state characterized by the rapid spread of new lesions, the presence of confetti-like depigmentation, as well as manifestations such as trichrome and Köebner phenomenon. Our investigation revealed that individuals with active vitiligo experienced notably higher DLQI scores, indicating a greater impact on their QoL compared to those with stable vitiligo.…”

Unveiling the Unseen Struggles: A Comprehensive Review of Vitiligo's Psychological, Social, and Quality of Life Impacts

“…Individuals with vitiligo often experience distress and feelings of embarrassment in the context of initiating sexual relationships and emotional connections [ 46 ]. In comparison to unmarried patients with vitiligo, those who were married demonstrated more severe emotional and appearance-related disruptions [ 47 , 48 ]. In contrast to men, female vitiligo patients experienced more significant impairments in general and psychological health, intimate relationships, and sexual experiences [ 49 ].…”