MHI‐5 effectively captures psychological distress in psoriasis patients

[Fred]

This study suggests that Mental Health Inventory (MHI‐5) is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to effectively capture psychological distress in psoriasis patients.

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Background:
Patients with psoriasis are at risk of a comorbid diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety. It is therefore essential for dermatologists to have valid and effective instruments that can screen and monitor depression and anxiety symptoms in psoriasis patients.

Objective:
The aim of this study was to validate the Mental Health Inventory (MHI‐5) as a brief measure that can be used to evaluate psychological distress related to anxiety and depression in psoriasis patients.

Methods:
The sample included 76 adult dermatological outpatients diagnosed with psoriasis. Participants completed the MHI‐5, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and six subscales of the Self Compassion Scale (SCS). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied to examine the factor structure of MHI‐5. Convergent validity was examined by applying correlations among all measures. Discriminant validity was examined by applying hierarchical regression models. Reliability was examined by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient.

Results:
CFA showed that the proposed one‐factor model has a good fit to the data. The MHI‐5 demonstrated satisfactory convergent validity by yielding significant moderate to strong correlations with the HADS and with the positive and negative subscales of the SCS. Discriminant validity was also evident with being at risk for anxiety predicting MHI‐5 scores above and beyond the effect of gender and age. Hierarchical regressions were not performed because a very small number of participants (n = 3) were classified at risk for depression. The MHI‐5 showed high internal consistency (α = 0.84)

Conclusion:
This investigation provided evidence that MHI‐5 is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to effectively capture psychological distress in psoriasis patients.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Eraly view funding unknown

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[jiml]

An interesting study and important that psychological distress in psoriasis sufferers is being taken seriously and the realisation that psoriasis is more than just a skin rash and has psychological consequences to many sufferers