Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions
Psychological Impact of Skin Conditions Examined
Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol; ePub 2016 Oct 20; Nguyen, et al
Though all 3 skin conditions—psoriasis, acne, and vitiligo—resulted in an increase in anxiety and depression among their patient populations, the psychosocial focus varied slightly for each disease, according to a recent study. Researchers conducted a search of medical literature using the terms “psychosocial” and “psoriasis,” “psychosocial” and “acne,” and “psychosocial” and “vitiligo.” They found:
- According to the articles evaluated, 19.2% of adolescent patients with acne were affected in their personal and social lives.
- Social phobia was present in 45% of patients with acne compared to 18% of control subjects.
- Race and sex played a role in self-consciousness and social perceptions of the disease.
- Vitiligo negatively affected marriage potential and caused relationship problems in >50% of patients.
- Psoriasis negatively affected multiple domains of life, including work, relationships, and social activities.
- Anxiety and depression affected not only psoriasis patients but also their cohabitants; up to 88% of cohabitants had an impaired quality of life.
Citation:
Nguyen CA, Beroukhim K, Danesh MJ, Babikian A, Koo J, Leon A. The psychosocial impact of acne, vitiligo, and psoriasis: A review. [Published online ahead of print October 20, 2016]. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. doi:10.2147/CCID.S76088.
This review of the psychosocial impact of 3 common dermatoses—acne, vitiligo, and psoriasis—is of importance, especially as the senior author Dr. John Koo is board certified in both dermatology and psychiatry. Quality of life issues and personal interactions with significant others and family members are frequently neglected in day-to-day clinical dermatology practice (ie, seldom questioned by the dermatologist). Of interest is the percentage of articles considered relevant across the 3 disorders in the search (ie, 21.6% for acne, 33 1/3% for vitiligo, but only 14% for psoriasis). With multiple domains found to be affected in the psoriasis group, and the effect of psoriasis not only on patients but also on their cohabitants, there is the need for dermatologists to gently question psoriasis patients at every visit about the effect of their disease on multiple psychosocial aspects of their life, as well as the quality of their relationships being affected by their psoriasis. —Alan Menter, MD