IFPA urges recognition of the close link between psoriasis and mental health — and action to prevent its devastating ripple effects.
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Every year on October 29, the global community marks World Psoriasis Day, raising awareness and standing in solidarity with more than 60 million people living with psoriatic disease worldwide. This year, IFPA (the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations) launches a global campaign “Stop the Domino Effect”.
IFPA’s “Stop the Domino Effect” is urging policymakers, healthcare professionals and the public to recognize psoriasis for what it is: a serious, systemic, and life-changing disease that sets off a chain reaction of serious health conditions — from diabetes and cardiovascular disease to depression. The campaign highlights the urgent need for integrated care, early intervention and equal access to treatment worldwide. The organization calls on health authorities to include psoriasis in national NCD strategies and ensure that patients receive care addressing both physical and mental health.
Psoriasis is not “just a skin disease” as it has been misunderstood for a long time. It is a lifelong, immune-mediated condition that affects the entire body. The body’s immune system triggers an overproduction of skin cells, leading to painful, inflamed, and itchy plaques. But the damage goes far deeper than the surface.
Recent research shows that psoriasis is closely linked to other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. One in three people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis, a painful inflammatory joint disease that can cause permanent damage and disability.
The burden extends to mental health. People with psoriasis are more than twice as likely to experience serious psychological distress — with a 109% higher risk of developing mental health disorders compared to the general population. One in ten live with diagnosed depression, while nearly half report severe anxiety. The stigma is pervasive: four in five people say they have faced discrimination because of their disease, and one in three have had to give up educational or career opportunities as a result.
- “We must stop the domino effect of psoriatic disease — and we must do it now,” says **Frida Dunger, Executive Director of IFPA. ” *It’s time to recognize that psoriatic disease severely affects every part of a person’s life and is closely linked to mental health. It’s also time to move towards increased understanding that psoriasis is just a skin disease. If we treat psoriasis early, with the best possible treatment and in holistic way, we can prevent a cascade of other serious illnesses. Policymakers and healthcare providers must act with urgency and listen to those living with the condition. Stopping the domino effect of psoriasis can help to radically improve lives of many people and save them from preventable suffering, – *Frida added.
This World Psoriasis Day, IFPA reminds the world: it’s time to stop the domino effect.
Read more about this year’s campaign:
https://www.ifpa-pso.com/global-actions-overview/world-psoriasis-day
About IFPA
IFPA (the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations), founded in 1971 and based in Stockholm, Sweden, is the global organization dedicated to advocating for everyone affected by psoriatic disease. IFPA’s members include national and regional patient associations and represent over 60 million people worldwide. Through global coalitions, World Psoriasis Day campaigns, the IFPA Forum, and the World Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Conference, IFPA is redefining psoriatic disease as a key lens for stronger, more inclusive health systems. Learn more: https://www.ifpa-pso.com/
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