Abstract:

To investigate the psychiatric characteristics of acne vulgaris and the effects of the disease on quality of life. Materials and methods: We included 70 acne patients and 50 healthy controls. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Quality of Life Scale Short Form, and Acne Quality of Life Questionnaire were applied. Results: Anxiety and depression scores of the acne patients were significantly higher than those of the control group. In patients with acne, significantly higher levels of social anxiety were detected. Social anxiety levels of severe acne cases were significantly higher. Social phobia was the most common axis I disorder. According to the SF-36 scale, vitality, social functioning, and emotional role difficulty scores were significantly higher in acne patients. Conclusion: Especially when acne vulgaris is severe, psychiatric evaluation and psychotherapeutic interventions particularly aimed at social anxiety symptoms and social functioning should be important parts of the treatment plan.

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