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IntroductionPsoriasis is associated with a major additional psychological burden.AimTo investigate whether the extent of skin involvement, stigmatization, and perceived social support are related to depressive symptoms in psoriasis patients.Material and methodsOne hundred and forty-eight psoriasis patients completed in the BSA, the Beck Depression Inventory, Stigmatization Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.ResultsAlmost 13% of participants obtained a BDI total score indicating moderate depressive symptoms. The results of regression analysis revealed that greater depression severity in psoriasis patients is associated with higher levels of psoriasis-related stigma, lower perceived social support, female gender and a shorter duration of the disease, explaining 43% of the variance of depression. The stigmatization was the most powerful predictor of depressive symptoms for psoriasis patients and accounted for 33% of the variance.ConclusionsThe extent of psoriasis does not directly lead to mood disturbance in these patients. Rather, social stigma accounted for this relationship. Strategies for reducing the stigma attached to patients with psoriasis are required.

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The aim of this study was to examine the importance of psychosocial factors, such as emotional and instrumental social support, distress, and assumptions about appearance and its salience to one's self-worth, and to relate these factors to depressive symptoms in patients with psoriasis, according to gender. A group of 219 patients with psoriasis, aged 18-70 years completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Appearance Schemas Inventory-Revised, the Berlin Social Support Scales, and the Distress Thermometer. Body Surface Area index was used to assess the severity of psoriasis. The main contributors to depression were: female gender, beliefs about appearance and its salience to one's self-worth, greater psychological distress, and lower levels of emotional social support. Therefore, improving the body image of patients with psoriasis, by reducing its salience in their personal lives, may play a role in the prevention of depression, especially in women.

IntroductionResearch has demonstrated a link between psoriasis and a multitude of psychological impairments; however, relatively few studies have examined the importance of site of skin lesions for negative psychological outcomes in psoriasis patients.AimTo investigate relationships between anatomical location of psoriatic lesions and experiences of stigmatization, negative emotional attitude towards the body, depression and social anxiety.Material and methodsAdult psoriasis patients (N = 193) completed the Stigmatization Scale, the Body Emotions Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Social Anxiety Questionnaire. The body surface area index was used to assess the location and extent of psoriasis.ResultsFeelings of stigmatization were found to be most closely related to the presence of psoriatic lesions on the chest, and the arms and hands. Higher levels of social anxiety were found to be most closely related to the location of psoriatic lesions on the head and neck. Negative emotional attitude towards the body was found to be most closely related to the location of psoriatic lesions on the arms and hands, and on the head and neck. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were most closely related to the presence of psoriatic lesions on the head and neck, the arms and hands, and the genital area.ConclusionsThe presence of psoriatic lesions on the head, neck, and chest, and also on the arms and hands and the genital area, should alert clinicians to a higher risk of psychological impairments. This may help to better recognize and prevent cumulative life course impairment.

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Research on the impact of gender quotas in open-list proportional representation systems has described quotas as ineffective or even paradoxical. While some authors argue that gender quotas without a placement mandate will be essentially ineffective since most women will be nominated to unpromising positions, others suppose that women will be disadvantaged by gender quotas because the increase in the number of female candidates will decrease the average number of preferential votes cast for women. We reexamine the evidence for these claims by analyzing the case of Poland. We demonstrate that the gender quota introduced there in 2011 increased the number of women placed at promising ballot positions and had very little impact on the number of preferential votes cast for women. Additionally, using simulations, we show that the quota had a positive impact on the number of elected women.