Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is a condition that causes pale, white patches to develop and affect any area of the skin. Most of the patients with involvement of exposed areas of the body suffer from low self-esteem, embarrassment, emotional stress ultimately leading to social isolation. These factors along with a sense of stigma increase the risk of psychological disorders including depression.
Methods: It was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad, Telangana, which is a tertiary care center and serves a large cater of sections including tribal areas. The duration of the study was for 8 months. The total sample size of the study was 80; out of which 40 were vitiligo patients and the other n=40 were non-vitiligo patients. A pre-designed proforma was used to get the basic demographic data and the Zung Self-rating Depression scale was used to assess depression in both groups. Statistical analysis was done using Epi Info 3.4.3 version which is a public domain software provided by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta.
Results: Age group ranged from 18-60 years of age. The mean age among the Vitiligo patient group was 36.3±10.53 years and in the control group was 40.8±10.87 years. Sex distribution showed that among vitiligo patients 28 were male and 12 females. The overall prevalence of clinical depression among vitiligo patients was 55% compared to only 10% in controls and this association was found to be statistically significant. Among the patients with clinical depression, nearly two-thirds (63.6%) were male and 36.4% female indicating a high prevalence of clinical depression among males compared to females.
Conclusions: Present study found a high prevalence of clinical depression among vitiligo patients using the Zung Depression Scale. Clinicians should evaluate vitiligo patients for depression and provide appropriate referrals or advice to manage the condition accordingly.