Psychological Distress in Hospital Staff with Self-Reported Hand Dermatitis

Abstract

Background: Hospital staff is regarded as a risk group for hand dermatitis – a condition which may influence social and psychic well-being. Objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate prevalence of psychological distress in hospital staff with self-reported hand dermatitis and to analyze factors which may influence the psychological status of these subjects. Material and Methods: 181 hospital employees with self-reported hand dermatitis were included into the study. They answered a specially designed questionnaire on demographic data, working conditions, skin symptoms and life-impact of dermatosis. Results: 48.1% of respondents declared psychological distress caused by their hand dermatitis. Patients with psychological distress worked statistically longer (p = 0.01) and their skin symptoms were more severe (p = 0.0016). Moreover, they looked for medical advice more frequently (p = 0.00043) and also tried to treat their hand lesions more frequently (p = 0.00037). Conclusions: Psychological distress is common among hospital staff suffering from hand dermatitis. Its frequency mainly depends on the severity of skin lesions and the number of years in the job.