Illustration courtesy of Leo Pharma's Leo Innovation Lab/PsoHappy app.
Even if it only lasted for a few hours, I felt like a celebrity. I got my hair and very light makeup done. I got an amazing photo shoot with London-based studio photographer Rankin. My photo was featured on the digital display. And, it all happened on World Psoriasis Day. That made it all the more special.
Leo Pharma sponsored the event that featured psoriasis bloggers and social media influencers along with company representatives, coming together to further ideas and innovations to make living with psoriasis physically and emotionally easier for patients. It was hosted at its Manhattan pop-up NYSKIN, and the clean, modern style fit perfectly with idea of featuring the faces of New York (and visitors) to “celebrate the ordinary: the freckled, the dimpled and the lived-in.” – Yeah, that pretty much sums it for me.
And as exciting as this was, I was also treated to find out more about the LEO Innovation Lab, an independent unit established by LEO Pharma as part of a long-term strategic decision to focus on patients’ needs. For an information junkie, the speakers did not disappoint.
According to the World Happiness Report, Denmark is the happiest country in the world with a score of 7.5 out of 10. If you look at just the group with psoriasis, the happiness rate drops to 6.6. However, in the United States, the overall happiness score is 7.1, but for psoriasis patients, there is a 20% drop in happiness to 5.7. And you know what, I can believe it.
Psoriasis takes such an emotional toll on patients – being embarrassed about our skin, frustration felt when medications don’t work, and not to mention the time it takes to maneuver life, doctors, pharmacy and insurance. You put all of that together, and I'm shocked the happiness factor isn’t even lower than reported.
Leo Pharma, in partnership with The Happiness Research Institute, is working on ways to narrow the gap between average people surveyed and those with psoriasis. Leo Pharma launched a free new app, PsoHappy, which sends weekly surveys to its members to get a better understanding of how psoriasis patients feel by exploring subjective quality-of-life factors such as well-being, self-esteem, loneliness, stress, and physical discomfort. Some results from the surveys:
50% of people with psoriasis say they have low self-esteem.
41% say they rarely feel confident.
49.2% of PsoHappy members report that living with psoriasis has had a large impact on their quality of life.
35% often feel unable to control the important things in their lives.
Data specialists at The Happiness Research Institute also discovered that psoriasis patients “feeling in control,” “feeling confident” and those with an “optimistic” outlook are two times more likely to feel happy than those “feeling loved.”
So, now what do they do with this data? The data will be used to help put the mental and emotional well being of those with psoriasis on the agenda of health institutions and policy makers. We really can make a difference across the globe!
For those with psoriasis, I encourage you to download the app and get started. Each weekly survey only takes a few minutes to answer. It also gives you a chance to reflect on your own happiness.
Until next time... Wishing everyone smiles and happiness today and always!
