Itchy skin ‘a risk for depression’

Patients with skin diseases who experience itchiness are at increased risk of clinical depression and having suicidal thoughts, a study suggests.
A team of European researchers found itch was a key contributor to the psychological disease burden of people with dermatological conditions.
Their cross-sectional study, conducted in dermatological clinics across 13 European countries, compared 3500 patients with skin diseases with more than 1000 healthy controls.
Patients were both clinically examined and completed questionnaires.