Psychosocial stressors are found in 40 to 80% of patients with psoriasis. The inability to cope with a stressful situation can induce a flare up of psoriasis. Several factors modulate our adaptive response to stress such as affective temperament (AT).

The objective of this study is to determine the dominant AT in patients with psoriasis and the correlation between AT and clinical features of the disease.

It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of sixty five subjects and two examiners were recruited. The evaluation of temperament was made thanks the Tunisian version of TEMPS-A.

Hyperthymic temperament (HT) was the dominant temperament in patients with psoriasis (70%). Patients with poor response to treatment had a higher prevalence of cyclothymic (CT), depressive (DT), irritable (IT) and anxious (AT) temperament. The prevalence of CT (p=0.039), DT and AT (p=0.032) was higher in patient with joint pain and pruritus. The stressful situations induce more flare up of psoriasis in patient with AT (p=0.006) and DT (p=0.06). A patient with HT reported minimal discomfort, the patient with IT, CT, DT and AT had daily to major discomfort.

Patients with psoriasis have the same dominant temperament than general population. However, the patients with AT, CT, DT and IT have more poor response to treatment and more functionally disabling symptoms (pruritus, joint pain). The impact on quality of life and expressed discomfort would be greater.