Supporting Patients' Mental Health and Well-Being During Mental Health Awareness Month and Year Round

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Throughout the month, we highlighted various studies and issues related to mental health and skin conditions, including support for patients and their caregivers, anxiety and depression with dupilumab treatment, the pivotal role of inflammation in skin disorders, and more.

Below, we recap our headlines from the month of May that spotlight these patient issues.

Do you specialize in or have a particular interest in research or caring for dermatologic patients with mental health concerns? If you would like to share your research or experiences with us, email our team at DTEditor@mmhgroup.com.

Supporting Patients With AD and Their Caregivers: Insights from Argentina

Recent studies in Argentina have highlighted the prevalence rates of atopic dermatitis, but the broader impact on patients and caregivers remains largely unexplored, prompting a recent survey aimed at understanding the nuances of burden in Argentina to provide tailored care and improved outcomes, which may also benefit dermatology clinicians in various countries.¹

Read more here.

2 Years of Treatment With Dupilumab Led to Improvements In Symptoms of AD and Comorbid Anxiety, Depression

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine revealed that after two years of dupilumab (Dupixent; Regeneron and Sanofi) treatment, patients with atopic dermatitis experienced improvements in both their symptoms and comorbid depression and anxiety. Following treatment, 17.5% of patients reported residual depression symptoms, and 13% reported residual anxiety symptoms, with significant reductions observed in psychiatric distress and clinical signs.²

Read more here.

Inflammation May Play A Similar Role in Atopic Dermatitis, Psoriasis, And Major Depressive Disorder

Research suggests inflammation may contribute to psychiatric disorders like major depressive disorder and dermatological conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, with a new poster at the 2024 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting identifying two potential common markers for future treatment.³

Read more here.

Substantial Disease Burden is Positively Correlated With a Greater Number of Atopic Dermatitis Lesion Locations

A study in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology found that more atopic dermatitis lesion locations correlate with greater disease burden, severity, poor control, and decreased quality of life.⁴

Read more here.

Research Highlights the Importance of Screening Patients for Alcohol Use Disorder

Due to the links between anxiety, depression, and both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and dermatological conditions, Kamal et al. explored whether depression and anxiety mediate the relationship between AUD and skin diseases.⁵

Read more here.

Acne-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire Developed

European researchers developed and tested a new 19-item questionnaire to better evaluate the mindset and quality of life of acne patients, finding it effective based on patient feedback.⁶

Read more here.

HRQoL of Patients with Alopecia Areata in Australia

Australian researchers surveyed 337 adults and adolescents with alopecia areata to explore their health-related quality of life, focusing on symptom severity, psychosocial well-being, and productivity at work or in the classroom.⁷

Read more here.

Low Stress Resilience in Men Linked to Higher Risk of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

Men with low stress resilience are more likely to develop psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, highlighting the need for mental health care in psoriasis management, according to a study in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology.⁸

Read more here.

References

1. Capozza K, Tu M, Schwartz A, Johnson JL, Ladner M. Patients' and caregivers' experiences navigating the burden of atopic dermatitis in Argentina. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Mar 31;60(4):584. doi: 10.3390/medicina60040584.
2. Ferrucci SM, Tavecchio S, Ceresa A, et al. Which factors are associated with persistence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients affected by atopic dermatitis despite 2-year treatment with dupilumab?. J Clin Med. 2024;13(7):1980. March 29, 2024. doi:10.3390/jcm13071980
3. Rizk MM. Cathomas F, Murrough J, He H, Guttman E Similar and unique immune proteomic profiles of major depressive disorder and primary dermatological disorders: a potential for novel treatments. Poster presented at: 2024 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting; May 3 – 8, 2024; New York City, New York. https://s7.goeshow.com/apa/annual/2024/poster_search.cfm?session_key=8E8E1EB2-90B1-1C06-DFD2-0334F3BFED3C&session_date=Saturday,%20May%2004,%202024
4. Simpson E, Lio P, Pierce E, et al. Impact of atopic dermatitis lesion locations and extent on patient burden: A real-world study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. April 26, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/jvc2.413
5. Kamal K, Xiang DH, Young K, et al. Comorbid psychiatric disease significantly mediates increased rates of alcohol use disorder among patients with inflammatory and pigmentary skin disorders: a case-control study in the All of Us Research Program. Arch Dermatol Res. 2024;316(2):79. doi:10.1007/s00403-023-02803-2
6. Chernyshov PV, Sampogna F, Raimondi G, et al. Development of the acne-specific quality of life questionnaire quality of life relevance-acne. JAAD Int.2024;16:9-17. March 25, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.jdin.2024.03.007
7. Sinclair R, Eisman S, Lee CMY, et al. Health-related quality of life of adult and adolescent patients living with alopecia areata in Australia. Australas J Dermatol. 2024; 00: 1–11. doi.org/10.1111/ajd.14311
8. Laskowski M, Schiöler L, Åberg M, et al. Influence of stress resilience in adolescence on long‐term risk of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis among men: A prospective register‐based cohort study in Sweden. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. May 20, 2024. doi:10.1111/jdv.20069