ABSTRACT
Introduction: Patients with mastocytosis have various clinical and psychological symptoms, for example, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions or anxiety, resulting in decreased quality of life (QoL). Aim: To assess the clinical and psychological symptoms (such as depression, anxiety) as well as the quality of life and satisfaction with life in patients with mastocytosis. Material and methods: The study group included 85 patients with mastocytosis (57 women and 28 men) treated at the Department of Allergology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland. The measures employed in the study were the following: HADS-M, QLMS, and Cantril ladder. Results: Among clinical symptoms that occurred in the studied group, only allergy differentiated between the patients in terms of their QoL. Patients experiencing allergy symptoms presented lower QoL in the area of leisure time. The study findings indicate that 27.1% of participants experience anxiety, 12.9% experience depression, 15.3% present low satisfaction with the current life, and 10.6% express low satisfaction with life in the next 4 weeks. General QoL in mastocytosis, as well as the four areas of QoL in mastocytosis, remain positively correlated with anxiety, depression, and irritability, as well as negatively correlated with the satisfaction with current life and life in 4 weeks' time. Conclusions: Patients who experience allergy symptoms have a lower level of QoL in the area of leisure time. Having more obstacles in various areas of life is associated with anxiety, depression, irritability, and low satisfaction with life. Learning how to overcome them can potentially improve the patients' QoL.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Appropriate and targeted psychological care, as well as psychoeducation covering the disease causes, symptoms, and their management are crucial elements of the therapeutic process in patients with mastocytosis. This care is based on the identification of problematic areas that are of the greatest importance for patients. The quality of life questionnaires available in Poland are designed for the general population; therefore, they do not encompass the specificity of difficulties experienced by people suffering from mastocytosis. AIM: To develop a questionnaire measuring the quality of life in patients with mastocytosis, and including the issues and symptoms typical for this group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 85 patients (57 women and 28 men) suffering from mastocytosis. RESULTS: The analyses revealed that the Quality of Life in Mastocytosis Scale (QLMS) is a reliable and valid tool for measuring the quality of life, and it takes into account the specific difficulties experienced by patients with mastocytosis. Apart from the measurement of the global quality of life, QLMS offers a deeper assessment of the quality of patient's lives, including the difficulties in professional life, everyday life, leisure time, or those associated with protective behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: The presented questionnaire completes a gap in quality-of-life studies by allowing to plan psychoeducation and offering a tool for a precise diagnosis of the quality of life in patients with mastocytosis.
