Katharina Buczek
About 7.5 million people in the United States suffer from psoriasis, and the cause of this skin condition still isn’t fully understood.
However, a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg suggests that your ability to manage stress may significantly influence your likelihood of developing psoriasis.
In fact, the researchers discovered that young men who were less resilient to stress were much more prone to experiencing chronic skin conditions in their later years.
The study specifically focused on young Swedish men who were enlisting in the military. The researchers analyzed the stress responses of 1.6 million Swedish military enlistees from 1968 to 2005.
Those with low-stress resilience were found to have a 31% higher risk of developing psoriasis compared to their highly stress-resilient counterparts.
This skin disease is characterized by itchy, scaly patches that often appear on the knees, elbows, torso, and scalp. In contrast to other minor skin issues, psoriasis is also a chronic condition with no cure.
Psoriasis typically flares up in cycles, causing symptoms for weeks or months before temporarily subsiding, according to the Mayo Clinic. While certain medications can help manage symptoms, doctors also advise patients to evaluate their lifestyle habits and come up with coping strategies to enhance their quality of life.
However, in this latest study, the team analyzed the psychological assessments that each man took prior to enlisting in the military. These examinations revealed that 20% of the men had low-stress resilience; meanwhile, 21% had high-stress resilience, and the rest were classified as having intermediate resilience.
Data from Sweden’s National Patient Register showed that 36,000 of these men eventually developed psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. Men with low-stress resilience had a 31% higher risk of developing a skin disease in comparison to those with high resilience.
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