Lower Quality of Life Reported Among Patients With Acne, Rosacea, and Seborrheic Dermatitis

The quality of life among patients with acne, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis is significantly lower when compared with healthy people, and these patients experience more negative feelings about themselves as a result of their skin illnesses, according to a recent study published in Dermatology Practical & Conceptual.

Researchers aimed to investigate and compare the psychosocial impact of common chronic dermatoses of the face in patients with acne (n=166), rosacea (n=134) , and seborrheic dermatitis (n=120), and 124 control individuals. The goal of the cross-sectional study was to better identify patients who might benefit from psychosocial support in addition to dermatologic care and to strengthen patient adherence to treatment. Patients with acne, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis were compared with healthy control individuals using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS).

Patients with all chronic dermatoses had higher DLQI, HADS, and SAAS scores, which translates to a lower quality of life compared with healthy patients. Among the 3 conditions, patients with rosacea had the highest DLQI (mean [SD]: 6.3 [5.8]), compared with patients with acne (5.5 [5.1]), those with seborrheic dermatitis (4.3 [4]), and the control patients (1.3 [1.8]). The mean (SD) SAAS scores  were 38.51 (16.37) for rosacea, 36.86 (14.24) for acne, 33.83 (13.67) for seborrheic dermatitis, and 26.37 (8.4) for the control patients.  Patients with rosacea had the highest prevalence of anxiety, and patients with seborrheic dermatitis had the highest rate of depression.

“Acne, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis patients’ quality of life was found to be significantly lower when compared to healthy people,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Ozcan Y, Sungur MA, Ozcan BY, Eyup Y, Ozlu E. The psychosocial impact of chronic facial dermatoses in adults. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2023;13(1):e2023029. doi:10.5826/dpc.1301a29