UK people living with psoriasis report higher levels of loneliness and isolation compared to the rest of the world, according to a new report.

Coinciding with yesterday's World Psoriasis Day, the first World Psoriasis Happiness Report shows the UK ranks third from bottom based on responses from 121,800 people living with psoriasis across 184 countries.

Here, 40% of women feel isolated compared to the global average of 26% and 39% of men feel left out compared to the average of 21%.

The survey, compiled by LEO Innovation Lab in collaboration with Meik Wiking, Danish author of The Little Book of Lykke and director of The Happiness Research Institute, explores how psoriasis impacts happiness, and said while both men and women are very much affected physically, emotionally, and psychologically, psoriasis seems to have an even greater negative impact on women.

Dr Francisco Kerdel, Dermatologist and graduate of the University of London, St Thomas's Hospital commented: "The impact of psoriasis goes beyond just the skin - a lot of people living with the condition can feel isolated, highly stressed or emotionally strained, and these feelings can be especially tough to manage during the darker winter months.

"Dealing with the emotional impact of psoriasis starts with remembering that you’re not alone. More than 1.3 million people are living with psoriasis in the UK today and there are many forums available online for connecting with them— this report is a reminder of just that."

You can download the full report here.