ABSTRACT
Acne is a common skin disease with a high prevalence in adolescents and young adults. In addition to physical effects such as permanent scarring and disfigurement, acne has long-lasting psychosocial effects that affect the patient's quality of life. Depression, social isolation and suicidal ideation are frequent comorbidities of acne that should not be neglected in the therapy of acne patients. Research evidence suggests that the impairment of quality of life can be alleviated by appropriate topical acne treatment.
Subject(s)
Acne Vulgaris/drug therapy , Acne Vulgaris/psychology , Facial Dermatoses/drug therapy , Facial Dermatoses/psychology , Quality of Life/psychology , Adolescent , Anxiety/etiology , Depression/etiology , Humans , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease which is increasing in incidence and prevalence. An understanding of the mental burden patients carry is essential for successful psychodermatological treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 62 adult atopic dermatitis patients were tested with a questionnaire and compared with a matched group of 62 healthy persons. Using the questionnaire for assessing suicide risk of Pöldinger, suicidal ideations were assessed. Anxiety and depression were detected by using HADS-D; the severity of symptoms by patients' self-evaluation based on SCORAD index. Finally, the onset of atopic dermatitis was established. RESULTS: A significantly higher level of suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression was shown among patients with atopic dermatitis. All three aspects showed a medium effect size. Strong correlations between severity of symptoms and psychological burden were observed. 16.1% of patients with atopic dermatitis suffered from suicidal ideation, while only 1.6% in control group did, producing an odds ratio of 11.73 (95%CI 1.45-94.71). CONCLUSION: Suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression are important factors, which should be addressed when treating atopic dermatitis.
