“Childhood Psoriasis – A Challenge For All” is the theme of the World Psoriasis Day 2010. Each year on October 29th, we celebrate World Psoriasis Day an international day of recognition and awareness for the people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. All children are invited to join the World Psoriasis Day International Drawing Competition for Children. Please contact your national psoriasis organisation our visit the World Psoriasis Day website.

Psoriasis in Children Childhood psoriasis is a problem that’s more than skin deep. It’s important to watch for signs of anxiety and depression in any child who has it – and address them promptly and with sensitivity.
In a recent study published in Family Practice News, researchers studied the medical records of 7,404 children and teens and found that kids with childhood psoriasis were more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder – most commonly depression or anxiety – compared to healthy children. In fact, over 5% of children with psoriasis had received such a diagnosis. When the researchers took into account prescriptions written for mood medications, they found that a child with psoriasis had a 25% – 47% greater risk of mental health problems.

National Psoriasis Foundation
The  National Psoriasis Foundation recently opened a new website called PsoMe to help children with psoriasis live better with their condition.

Studies show that children with psoriasis are more likely to be alienated, called names, teased and bullied than their peers. To helpreduce discrimination, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) developed this website to connect children and their families, and teach them about psoriasis and its treatments with relevant, accurate information targeted for a youth population.

To learn more, visit www.PsoMe.org.

About World Psoriasis Day?
World Psoriasis Day is an annual day specially dedicated to people with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis. Conceived by patients for patients, World Psoriasis Day is a truly global event that sets out to give an international voice to the 125 million people with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis around the world. Formed by a global consortium of patient associations from around the world,World Psoriasis Day aims to raise the profile of a condition which needs to be taken more seriously by national and international authorities.

Aims of World Psoriasis Day

• Raising awareness: to let people with psoriasis know that they are not alone and to raise the profile of this devastating skin disease and themisery it can cause. To dispel myths about the condition, such as themistaken view that psoriasis is contagious.
• Improving access to treatment: to encourage healthcare systems,governments, physicians, carers and all those responsible for psoriasiscare to allow psoriasis sufferers access to optimum therapy. For too long, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis has been low priority. They are debilitating diseases and must move up the healthcare agenda.
• Increasing understanding: to provide information to those who are affected by the condition as well as the general public in order to educatepeople about the condition so that they can discuss it more openly and confidently.
• Building unity among the psoriasis community: to provide a platform from which patient voices from around the world can speak as one and be heard by key decision makers.

Vernon Hills, Ill., August 12, 2010 — During the month of August, people with a certain type of psoriasis have the chance to access free medicine through Avenue to Access, which was introduced in conjunction with the National Psoriasis Foundation’s awareness month.

The program is for individuals with mild-to-moderate stable plaque psoriasis access to a FREE prescription-size tube of ZITHRANOL-RR® (anthralin, 1.2%) rapid release microcrystalline encapsulated cream.

Those who are interested in receiving a free tube of Zithranol-RR will need to see their doctor first. “The dermatologist should always be the first stop in psoriasis therapy,” said Joel Bernstein, MD, a dermatologist and founder of Elorac, the pharmaceutical company offering the free psoriasis medicine.

Because psoriasis is a chronic disease, ongoing treatment can become very costly throughout a patient’s lifetime. According to a survey panel recently conducted by the National Psoriasis Foundation, approximately 44% of responders went without treatment for their psoriasis due to financial issues.

For information on Avenue to Access and how to receive the free medicine for psoriasis, visit www.avenuetoaccess.com. For more information about psoriasis or to join the National Psoriasis Foundation, go to www.psoriasis.org.

About the National Psoriasis Foundation
The National Psoriasis Foundation is the world’s largest nonprofit organization serving people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Our mission is to find a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and to eliminate their devastating effects through research, advocacy and education. For more information, call the Psoriasis Foundation, headquartered in Portland, Ore., at 800.723.9166, or visit www.psoriasis.org.

About Elorac
Elorac, Inc. is a privately held pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of products for the management of skin disorders. Elorac owns or licenses the rights to numerous treatments for various cutaneous diseases.

This post was submitted by Marita Gomez.

The National Psoriasis Foundation provide free webcast about light therapie.

“Learn about the power of light! This webcast will explain all you need to know about the different types of light therapy, including lasers, ultraviolet light A (UVA), ultraviolet light B (UVB) and natural sunlight.

Stefan C. Weiss, M.D., MHSc, Clinical Instructor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, will discuss the safety and effectiveness of light therapy and give you the tools you need to make an informed decision about using this form of treatment.”

Visit National Psoriasis Foundation to register!