Prevalence and Associated Factors of Comorbid Skin Diseases in Patients with Schizophrenia: A Clinical Survey and National Health Database Study
March 2014
in “
General Hospital Psychiatry
”
TLDR Patients with schizophrenia have a high rate of skin diseases, with fungal infections and dermatitis being most common, and those on clozapine have a lower risk of fungal infections.
In 2014, a study involving 337 patients with schizophrenia from a psychiatric hospital's therapeutic community revealed a high prevalence of skin diseases, particularly fungal infection (61.4%) and dermatitis (46.9%). The study identified that patients on clozapine had a lower risk of fungal infections, while obese patients and those with diabetes had higher risks of fungal and bacterial infections, respectively. Data from the National Health Insurance Research Database indicated that the prevalence of skin diseases was higher in patients with schizophrenia (75.1%) than in the general population (72.6%). The study highlighted the need for regular skin care and better access to dermatological care for patients with schizophrenia to improve their quality of life. However, the study was cross-sectional and may not be generalizable beyond similar populations.
