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Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None disclosed.

Patients with psoriasis have high rates of depression and may be at increased risk for suicidal ideation and behavior (SIB). Attempted and completed suicides during clinical trials and other studies of psoriasis therapies, including brodalumab, highlight the importance of understanding psychiatric risk factors in patients with psoriasis. Recent meta-analyses, research studies, and published data from brodalumab clinical studies were reviewed. We also summarize research on effects of brodalumab on depression symptoms and occurrences of SIB in brodalumab clinical trials. Psoriasis elevates the risk for depression and possible suicide. Brodalumab has a boxed suicide warning; however, it states that there is no established causal association between treatment with brodalumab and increased risk for SIB. Clinicians are urged to evaluate patients with psoriasis for psychiatric risk factors regardless of their therapy and to consider the package insert and a comprehensive evaluation of relevant literature to make a well-balanced decision.

Psoriasis is a chronic systemic inflammatory skin disease, which has been associated with an increased risk of numerous medical and psychiatric comorbidities, including suicidality. Suicidality, which can be divided into the categories of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and completed suicide, is highly prevalent in the psoriasis population, and multiple studies have been published on the subject of psoriasis and suicidal ideation and behavior (SIB), including two recent meta-analyses. However, the available literature is limited and inconsistent, and the association between the two remains incompletely understood. The present review aims to cohesively synthesize and summarize the available evidence, while making a clinically relevant distinction between the sub-categories of suicidality, by examining not only the epidemiology of the association but also the plausible molecular mechanisms and the potential influence of biologic therapies. Additionally, this review aims to critically examine and understand the potential contribution of depression in the psoriasis and suicidality relationship. This will allow us to better understand the complex and multi-faceted relationship between psoriasis and suicidality, to identify those who may be most at risk for SIB, to make evidence-based clinical decisions regarding treatment and management, and to more completely address the needs of psoriasis patients., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Importance: Psoriasis is a risk factor for depression. Depression may also trigger or exacerbate psoriasis. The relationship between psoriasis and depression, however, remains to be fully explored., Objective: To investigate the association between psoriasis and major depression in the US population., Design, Setting, and Participants: Population-based study using participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2009 through 2012., Main Outcomes and Measures: Diagnosis of major depression based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9., Results: We identified 351 (2.8%) cases of psoriasis and 968 (7.8%) cases of major depression among 12,382 US citizens included in our study. Fifty-eight (16.5%) patients with psoriasis met criteria for a diagnosis of major depression. The mean (SD) Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score was significantly higher among patients with a history of psoriasis than those without psoriasis (4.54 [5.7] vs 3.22 [4.3], P < .001). Psoriasis was significantly associated with major depression, even after adjustment for sex, age, race, body mass index, physical activity, smoking history, alcohol use, history of myocardial infarction (MI), history of stroke, and history of diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.09 [95% CI, 1.41-3.11], P < .001). Interaction term analyses involving patients with a history of both psoriasis and a cardiovascular event, specifically MI or stroke, did not reveal a synergistically increased risk of major depression (psoriasis and MI: OR, 1.09 [95% CI, 0.28-3.60], P = .91; psoriasis and stroke: OR, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.12-3.66], P = .63). In adjusted multivariable models, the risk of major depression was not significantly different between patients with limited vs extensive psoriasis (OR, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.18-2.44], P = .53)., Conclusions and Relevance: Self-reported history of psoriasis was independently associated with major depression as assessed by a validated screening tool, even when controlling for comorbidities. History of cardiovascular event did not modify the risk of major depression for patients with psoriasis. The severity of psoriasis was unrelated to the risk of major depression. Therefore, all patients with psoriasis, regardless of severity, may be at risk for major depression.