The prevalence of depression is increased among pediatric and adult patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology .

Shari Wright, from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Hempstead, New York, and colleagues compared the prevalence of depression in a cross-sectional analysis of 38,140 adults and 1,162 pediatric HS patients and controls.

The researchers found that the prevalence of depression was 30.0 and 16.9 percent among adults with HS and controls, respectively, and 11.7 and 4.1 percent, respectively, among children/adolescents with HS and controls. Relative to controls, the odds of having depression were 1.26 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.25 to 1.28; P < 0.001) and 1.42 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.999 to 2.01; P = 0.051) among adults and children/adolescents with HS, respectively, in adjusted analyses.

"Prevalence of depression among pediatric and adult patients with HS is high," the authors write. "Health care providers should be attentive to signs and symptoms of depression among children, adolescents, and adult patients with HS. Periodic screening for depression may be considered."

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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