Psychodermatology of Acne in Adolescents?

A review article published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology investigated the psychological effects acne has on adolescent patients.¹

While acne is a common and nonthreatening inflammatory skin condition for adolescents and young adults, acne has significant psychological impact and comorbidity, according to the review’s authors.

This review article aimed to determine common clinical features, prevalence, treatment recommendation, differential diagnoses, and various clinical presentations with a special focus on psychological aspects of acne.

In the review, researchers conducted a literature search on PudMed from January 2001 to June 2020. The search terms included acne vulgaris, psychological, suicide, mood disorders, adolescents, and anxiety.Reference lists of articles were examined for any other relevant studies. Also, no specific quality criteria were used for study inclusion.

Results of the review revealed clinical acne manifestations are “very important in the differential diagnosis and its psychological implications,” according to the study authors.

They concluded that although acne is a common and nonthreatening inflammatory skin condition, it has a substantial psychological impact on patients. In order to improve the patient’s self-esteem and skin, effective treatment is required, wrote the study authors.

Reference:

1. Stamu-O’Brien C, Jafferany M, Carniciu S, Abdelmaksoud A. Psychodermatology of acne: Psychological aspects and effects of acne vulgaris. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2021;20(4):1080-1083. doi:10.1111/jocd.13765