U.S. Ranks Seventh in First-Ever World Psoriasis Happiness Report
First report of its kind reveals how gender, social isolation, and doctor relationships affect people living with psoriasis
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PsoHappy, the world’s first web-based and mobile application that measures the happiness levels of people living with psoriasis, and The Happiness Research Institute, an independent think tank focusing on well-being, happiness and quality of life, today released the first digital study measuring happiness levels for people living with psoriasis based on responses from 121,800 people in 184 countries. Findings from the first World Psoriasis Happiness Report, done in collaboration with Leo Innovation Lab, an independent unit of LEO Pharma, placed the U.S. seventh out of the 19 countries with the most respondents in terms of happiness, behind neighbors Mexico and Canada.1
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 125 million people worldwide. In 2014, Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized psoriasis as noncommunicable disease (NCD) in a World Health Assembly resolution.2 The resolution was driven by the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA), a global leader in psoriasis advocacy, and showed that incorrect or delayed diagnosis, inadequate treatment options and insufficient access to care, and social stigmatization unnecessarily increases the suffering that comes with psoriasis.3
The World Psoriasis Happiness Report provides deeper insight into that resolution, and found that stress and loneliness were the key drivers of unhappiness for people living with psoriasis. The report also found a disconnect between U.S. and global respondents on these points, including1:
- 27 percent of U.S. females feel good about themselves all the time, compared to 37 percent of global female respondents;
- 34 percent of U.S. respondents feel they lack companionship, compared to the global average of 26 percent;
- 30 percent of U.S. respondents feel left out, compared to the global average of 23 percent; and
- 29 percent of U.S. female respondents feel confident all the time, compared to 49 percent of US male respondents.
"These data points can be a key driver in broadening the global conversation around the impact of psoriasis beyond scientists and clinicians, and will allow advocacy groups to facilitate a more compelling conversation with policy makers,” said Sophie Andersson, Executive Director, IFPA. “The countries that rank highly in the index have flourishing patient associations for people living with psoriasis, so the rankings support our philosophy that support networks are an invaluable way to improve well being among those living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. We commend the researchers for applying happiness survey methodology to psoriasis, to finally draw attention to the real-life impact that a common chronic, serious disease can have on people’s lives on such a global scale.”
In addition to the World Psoriasis Happiness index, the report also reveals how gender, social isolation, and doctor relationships affect people living with psoriasis.
Gender disparity
One common theme researchers found was the lack of self-confidence and self-esteem women suffered in comparison to men. The report shows how only 29 percent U.S. women feel confident at all times compared to 50 percent U.S. men. Since 49 percent of male respondents in the U.S. feel good about themselves at all times compared to less than 30 percent females, there’s a clear gap between how females in the U.S. living with psoriasis see themselves compared to men.1
Impact on emotional and social lifestyles
Findings show how social isolation takes a toll on the U.S. population living with psoriasis. When selecting which values psoriasis had the greatest impact on, U.S. respondents ranked emotional life first, followed by physical functioning, sexual intimacy, social life, professional career, family life, then educational life. In addition, 30 percent of U.S. respondents oftentimes feel excluded or left out from social activities. Comparatively, only 23 percent of global respondents feel the same.1
Healthcare access and physician trust
Although 80 percent of U.S. respondents feel their physician is available when needed, nearly half of those same respondents, 42 percent, feel that improving their health isn’t the key focus of the healthcare system. According to the report, 44 percent of U.S. respondents feel they haven’t even been informed about all the different treatment options available to them. Moreover, researchers found that prioritizing the mental health impact of psoriasis within the healthcare system, could have a positive effect on the well-being of those living with psoriasis in the U.S. Only 51 percent of U.S. respondents feel their doctor understands the impact psoriasis has on mental well-being. The happiness level of this group is 5.97, compared to the lower happiness level of the remaining 49 percent, which is 5.02.1
“With World Psoriasis Day taking place in just over a week, we’re looking to spread not only awareness, but also inspiration for those living with psoriasis— not to mention their support system of family, friends, and physicians,” said Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute. “In a world where 74 percent of people living with psoriasis don’t think there is sufficient public awareness, we’re hoping this report can help shed new light on real issues the U.S. faces and encourage those suffering to build, expand, and lean on support systems in place.”
Methodology
The World Psoriasis Happiness report is based on 121,800 survey responses in 184 countries. The World Psoriasis Happiness Index within the report is based on the top 19 countries that had a statistically significant sample size of 400 participants or more. Respondents were screened and categorized by severity level based on their self-reported severity declaration as well as their self-reported body surface area (BSA) measurement, which is used by healthcare professionals worldwide to diagnose psoriasis. Age group categories ranged from less than 20 years of age to more than 60 years of age, with the average age groups between 20 and 49 years of age. The central themes of the study focused on disease severity, burden of disease, burden of treatment, assessment of the healthcare system and healthcare professionals, general life worries and behaviors.
Anyone can access the World Psoriasis Happiness Report on https://goo.gl/rH9HNS.
About the Happiness Research Institute
The Happiness Research Institute is an independent think tank, based in Copenhagen, which focuses on life satisfaction, happiness and quality of life. Its mission is to inform decision makers of the causes and effects of human happiness, make subjective well being part of the public policy debate and improve the quality of life for citizens across the world.
About LEO Innovation Lab
LEO Innovation Lab is an independent digital innovation unit established in 2015 by Denmark's oldest pharmaceutical company, LEO Pharma. The unit focuses on digital health and has launched a wide range of digital solutions targeting patients worldwide. LEO Innovation Lab aims to empower patients to gain more control over both their condition and treatment, improving the patient-doctor interaction as well as saving time for doctors and other healthcare professionals.
About LEO Pharma
LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. By offering care solutions to patients in more than 100 countries globally, LEO Pharma supports people in managing their skin conditions. Founded in 1908 and owned by the LEO Foundation, the healthcare company has devoted decades of research and development to delivering products and solutions to people with skin conditions. LEO Pharma is headquartered in Denmark and employs around 5,000 people worldwide.
The LEO Foundation is an independent, private institution that assumed ownership of LEO Pharma in 1986. The foundation’s main aim is to ensure the long-term existence of the LEO Pharma group. LEO Pharma A/S is owned entirely by the LEO Foundation and has no external shareholders, so the company is accountable only to patients. All profits are reinvested into R&D and the development of new innovative solutions.
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1 LEO Innovation Lab, The Happiness Research Institute (2017), World Psoriasis Happiness Report 2017
2 WHO, Resolution WHA67.9. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2014. http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA67/A67_R9-en.pdf. Accessed September 2017
3 The International Federation of Psoriasis Associations. Available via https://ifpa-pso.com/about/. Accessed September 2017.
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