Almirall, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health, has launched in collaboration with the IFPA (International Federation of Psoriasis Associations) the second edition of the “Shedding Light on Psoriasis” campaign for World Psoriasis Day 2022, which takes place on 29th October, to raise awareness of the impact of this chronic condition on the wellbeing and mental health. Psoriasis is a systemic disease involving approximately 60 million people around the world and affecting multiple areas of the body, which can negatively affect self-esteem and confidence, often due to social rejection. In fact, half of the people with psoriasis suffer a moderate to very large impact on their quality of life due to the strong effects on their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Shedding Light on Psoriasis aims to shed light on the stories of people living with psoriasis and show how the dark side of psoriasis affects their mental health, quality of life and the stigma they suffer from society. To do this, renowned illustrator Beatriz Ramo (@naranjalidad) has created a portrait of two people with psoriasis painting their journey with psoriasis: the struggles and achievements they have made throughout their lives.
“It doesn’t make sense to just treat my pain, treat my flare-ups, I also need to support my mental health because we know that stress and other things are a trigger for those outbreaks. We also must relate the family to that, because lack of confidence related to flare-ups can affect our relationships, careers and finances. A multidisciplinary approach to psoriasis needs to be emphasised,” said Joel Nelson, IFPA ambassador and one of the main protagonists of the campaign.
Eight out of ten people living with psoriasis have reported that the disease has affected their relationships , especially their partners, and their family life, according to a recently published IFPA report.
Psoriasis is also associated with serious mental health conditions. More than a quarter of people living with psoriasis show symptoms of depression, one in ten people living with psoriasis are diagnosed with clinical depression and 48% show signs of anxiety. The disease influences the education and career choices and can limit productivity and the ability to perform tasks due to fatigue and absenteeism. Professionally, psoriasis can have a major impact, potentially becoming a cause of unemployment and affecting career advancement and earning potential.
“The goal for World Psoriasis Day 2022 is to raise awareness between psoriatic disease and mental health. We need to support the unloading of the burden for people living with psoriatic disease and increase the wellbeing of those affected. Thank you, Almirall, for supporting IFPA in this journey and for giving the space for people living with the disease to speak up and share their stories”, stated Frida Dunger, IFPA’s Executive Director.
“The link between psoriasis and the impact on mental health is well documented. At Almirall, we are committed to continuing raising awareness of the daily challenges faced by psoriasis patients and through campaigns such as Shedding Light on Psoriasis, we are successfully highlighting the importance of finding approaches that correctly capture the full impact of psoriasis on patients’ lives.”, told Volker Koscielny, Almirall’s Chief Medical Officer. “It is important for us to stand by the patient community to fulfil our purpose of transforming patients’ lives by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life”, he added.
