The chronic inflammatory skin condition, lichen sclerosus (LS), which primarily affects the anogenital area in women, is associated with depression and anxiety, according to a research letter published online June 15 in JAMA Dermatology.

Ryan Fan, from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues conducted a nested, matched, case-control study involving U.S. women aged 18 years or older to examine the association of LS with depression and anxiety. Using nearest-neighbor propensity score matching with replacement, each case patient was matched to four controls based on age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Data were included for 765 women with LS (mean age, 66.2 years) and 3,060 matched controls.

The researchers found that compared with controls, women with LS were significantly more likely to have a diagnosis of depression (42.5 versus 24.4 percent) or anxiety (42.6 versus 22.6 percent). LS remained significantly associated with depression and anxiety in a multivariable analysis (odds ratios, 2.16 and 2.50, respectively).

"Health professionals treating patients with LS should recognize the increased risk of depression and anxiety, consider mental health screening, and refer patients with LS to mental health professionals when appropriate," the authors write.

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