Objective: Although a large number of Syrian refugees have been living in Turkey, the studies demonstrating dermatological problems of Syrian refugees are scarce. We sought to investigate stress-related dermatological diseases and psychiatric disorders of Syrian refugees and local people in the dermatology clinic on the border of Syria.

Material and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 48 Syrian refugees and 118 local people diagnosed as acne vulgaris, alopecia areata, psoriasis, pruritus, seborrheic dermatitis and urticaria between May and August 2013. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants were recorded. All patients were examined by a single psychiatrist.

Results:Of 166 participants, 72 had acne vulgaris, 27 had psoriasis, 24 had pruritus, 18 had seborrheic dermatitis, 14 had alopecia areata, and 11 had urticaria. Of them, 47% had at least one psychiatric disorder; 31.3% had anxiety disorder, 7.2% had mood disorder, and 8.4% had both of anxiety and mood disorders. Whereas the prevalence of general psychiatric disorders and major depression was not significantly different between refugees and local people, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder was significantly higher in refugees.

Conclusion: The frequency of psychiatric disorders and skin diseases related to stress were quite high in refugees and local people.