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Childhood and skin conditions tend to go together but they can be a long term, inhibiting factor for some children. The effect on them is unwelcome, although the way their parents lives are changed shouldn’t be overlooked.
A UK study highlighted physical fatigue and parental distress as likely outcomes. Other research has found an increased incidence of depression and anxiety in caregivers of children with chronic skin diseases.
The research equally points out that parental symptoms are picked up by children, potentially impacting their mental health and fatigue levels.
No parent would do this deliberately and the right treatment, along with an organised regime can empower them to avoid downsides. Still worth looking at a further study in more detail, to help understand what can happen.
The Impact Of Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a disease with a clear impact, especially when severe. The research looked at 100 parents (mainly mothers) of children with psoriasis, over a period of 8 months in 2022, with an emphasis on the quality of family life.
A system known as the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI) was used to measure impact. The children’s medical history, condition and mental health were taken into account, although the focus was parental.
Issues such as the physical impact and increased household expenses were raised, along with the emotional pain their child’s illness brought to parents.
The FDLQI scores saw 8 mothers report an extremely high impact, 63 a significant impact, 26 a moderate impact and 3 a low impact. A link between high scoring and more severe disease was evident.
Concentrating on a quite prevalent disease which can be unpleasant made sense, although as the researchers noted, the same could apply to other conditions.
Improving The Outcome
Points above will not shock those who care for children with serious skin disease. Neither does life always get easier as children age, some can grow out of a condition but there may be more difficulties, as a child’s emotional life develops.
Worth noting however that the research above did not find a correlation between differing FDLQI scores and duration of a child’s illness. A clear suggestion that parents continue to offer good support, even if they are suffering.
Neither should we forget that the primary concern is the child’s condition and finding the best approach to help. A good dermatologist will still understand that the impact is not limited to one member of a family.
They should be there to offer advice and support to all involved. Sound diagnosis and treatment should lead the way, along with being up to date on opportunities but helping parents to care matters.
Nobody would suggest that caring for a child with a skin condition is ever easy. Paediatric dermatologists can still find ways of making this easier, to benefit all involved and bring the best outcome for their patient.