Personality, Coping and Sex as Psychosocial Aspects of Psoriatic Arthropathy

Abstract

Objectives: Psoriasis is a chronic, currently incurable skin disease affecting 2–3% of the population and is associated with problems in body image and self-esteem and feelings of stigma and shame. Psoriatic arthropathy is a form of arthritis which accompanies psoriasis. This research sought to investigate possible differences between psoriatic arthropathy patients and controls with respect to personality and coping styles. The role of sex as a mediating factor in the interaction between personality, coping and the disease was also examined. Material and Methods: Assessment of questionnaires was by a cross-sectional analysis of psoriasis patients and matched controls. The Millon Index of Personality Styles, The Coping Responses Inventory and a demographic questionnaire were sent by post to the members (N = 103) of the Psoriatic Arthropathy Alliance with pre-paid envelopes. A questionnaire was also included that contained two full body and face diagrams, front and back so that the respondents could indicate where on their body psoriasis first appeared and where on their body they currently had psoriasis. Control participants were pooled from St. Leonard’s Hospital in London’s accident and emergency department and normal volunteers suffering no medical condition. Results: A series of multivariate analyses of variance with appropriate post hoc tests and Pearson’s product moment correlations were carried out on the data. Results showed that sex differences in personality and coping style existed for the psoriatic arthropathy patients. Differences due to visibility were not significant. Conclusions: Results are discussed with respect to self-schema theory and the effect of media imagery on female body image and the importance of the individual’s internal representation of body image.