Biopsychosocial impacts faced by patients with vitiligo: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this review was to report current knowledge about the main signs and symptoms that affect the quality of life of individuals with vitiligo. Methodology: The searches were carried out through searches in the PubMed Central (PMC) databases. Three descriptors were used in combination with the Boolean term "AND": vitiligo; quality of life; depression; psychosocial impact; Medical Psychology. From this search, 275 articles were found, which were subsequently submitted to the selection criteria. Of which, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 36 articles were selected from the PubMed database, and a total of 19 studies were used to compose the collection. Discussion: Thus, studies denote that the skin, being the largest organ in the body, is crucial for personal image and diseases that alter its pigmentation, such as vitiligo, reduce the quality of life, especially for young people. From a biological and embryonic point of view, the skin and the brain have an intimate relationship, which suggests that changes in it can be associated with mental health problems, exacerbating or triggering dermatological conditions, which culminate in nervousness, decreased self-confidence, anxiety and even depression.  Results: It is known that there may be a biomarker for the activity or severity of vitiligo where it is related to the prevalence of psychiatric problems, creating image distortions. In summary, being a multifactorial autoimmune dermatological disease, it would generate a great impact on the lives of patients, influencing individual self-image and the way the world will perceive it, and thus resulting in a worsening of quality of life.