Does mental health issues trigger psoriasis?

Question

Hello doctor,

My 16-year-old son developed psoriasis right after a severe bout of depression. Patches showed up first on his face, then spread everywhere. Now, he is complaining about joint pain, too, especially in his knees. The psychiatrist wants to start him on new medicines, but we are worried it might make his skin worse. He has stopped going to school because of bullying. Also noticed that he gets anxiety attacks when his skin flares up. How do we handle both mental and skin issues?

Kindly suggest.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I empathize with you and your son. The condition must be so hard on him. Psoriasis is a chronic skin inflammatory condition. It can predispose to depression and anxiety attacks in a patient. Your son needs to be reassured that being sick is not his fault. He needs to keep a positive mindset about his health. If he is in a school where is being bullied, the culprits have to be dealt with, and other students are educated not to do such things.

I would like to ask if he has ever attempted suicide or had suicidal thoughts before.

The medications from the psychiatric doctor would not affect his skin condition. He needs to take medicines to help his mind and also prevent the worsening of his mental health. Treatment options for psoriasis include:

Use of emollient.
Petroleum jelly.
Topical steroids.
Avoidance of cold and dry weather.
Avoid alcohol and smoking.
Methotrexate can also be used.
He also needs a dermatologist's intervention as soon as possible.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.