AccScience Publishing / HPR / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/HPR026100057
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Multidimensional characteristics of anhedonia in hidradenitis suppurativa: A cross-sectional study

Marta Szepietowska1,2* ,  Piotr K. Krajewski3,4 ,  Przemyslaw Pacan5 ,  Anna Wojas-Pelc1 ,  Lukasz Matusiak3,4 ,  Andrzej K. Jaworek1
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1 Department of Dermatology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
2 Doctoral School of Medical and Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
3 Division of Dermatology, Venereology, and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland
4 Department of Dermato-Venereology, 4th Military Hospital, Wroclaw, Poland
5 Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Rzeszow University, Rzeszow, Poland
HPR, 026100057 https://doi.org/10.36922/HPR026100057
Received: 8 March 2026 | Revised: 24 June 2026 | Accepted: 1 July 2026 | Published online: 17 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Background: Anhedonia is increasingly recognized as an important psychological dimension in chronic diseases. Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic dermatosis with a vast psychosocial burden; however, anhedonia in HS has not been previously investigated.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and multidimensional characteristics of anhedonia in patients with HS.

Methods: A total of 113 patients with HS (56 females, 57 males; mean age 37.3 ± 12.3 years) were included. Disease severity was evaluated using Hurley staging and the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4). Anhedonia was assessed using the Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale, the Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale (ACIPS), and the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS). Quality of life was measured using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Quality of Life. Illness acceptance was assessed with the Acceptance of Illness Scale. Depression and anxiety symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, and the modified Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results: Anhedonia was present in 37.2% of patients with no sex differences. It was not associated with Hurley stage or disease duration but correlated with higher IHS4 scores. Patients with more severe disease had lower ACIPS and TEPS scores, indicating impairments in anticipatory and consummatory pleasure. Greater anhedonia is associated with poorer quality of life, lower illness acceptance, and more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms (all p < 0.05). In multivariable analysis, poor quality of life (DLQI >10) was the only independently associated factor of anhedonia (odds ratio = 4.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.25–14.88).

Conclusion: Anhedonia affects over one-third of patients with HS and represents an important multidimensional component of disease burden.

Keywords
Hidradenitis suppurativa
Anhedonia
Psychiatric comorbidities
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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