Uniting for Action – World Psoriasis Day, 29th October
A call to action by IPFA
Ahead of the fast-approaching World Psoriasis Day 2022, EUROPSO is proudly supporting International Federation of Psoriatic Disease Associations’ (IFPA’s) initiative, with this year’s focus on mental health and mental well-being.
Good mental health and mental well-being are increasingly being recognized as essential parts of health. Depression and anxiety are the most common mental disorders worldwide. Both conditions profoundly impact daily life, relationships, and social interactions.
Research has shown that living with psoriatic disease takes a heavy toll on a person´s mental health and emotional well-being. The non-curable, chronic nature of psoriatic disease, the systemic inflammation occurring in the body, and the fact that the disease is visible on the skin renders people living with psoriatic disease at risk of developing depression and anxiety.
A quarter of people living with psoriatic disease experience depression. And as for anxiety, the number jumps to a staggering 48%. The good news is that timely and proper treatment of both psoriatic disease and depression or anxiety can effectively improve the conditions.
We are united and demand action and together we can make a change for the mental health of people living with psoriatic disease.
• Pledge your support for greater access to psoriatic disease care by supporting IFPA’s online petition.
• Lobby a local or national policy-maker to ensure that all people with psoriatic disease have access to the care they need
• Organize a ‘learn about psoriatic disease’ event in schools
• Help people learn about comorbidities related to psoriatic disease by referring them to IFPA’s online resources
• Engage local celebrities or members of the press for your event to generate some excitement and reach a wider audience
• Organize or participate in a local psoriatic disease awareness event. Check out the global map on psoriasisday.org to pin your activity or search for one to attend
• Light up a local landmark, your home or workplace in orange or purple
• Arrange an activity with your work colleagues
The World Psoriasis Day website houses all the elements of the campaign. You can access and download ready-made assets, but we encourage you to craft your own. Be creative. Be exciting. Be relevant. Tools are available in multiple languages. Find everything at psoriasisday.org.
