Stigmatization may increase psychological burden and decrease quality of life in patients with skin diseases, according to a new study published by Gisondi et al in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Investigators analyzed the psychological outcomes of 19,015 patients with skin diseases—including fungal skin infections, acne, atopic dermatitis, alopecia, psoriasis, and sexually transmitted diseases. They found that 88% and 83% of the patients reported feeling embarrassed over their diseases in their personal lives and professional lives, respectively. About 60% of the patients with urticaria and 48% of the patients with acne felt that their professional lives were impaired as a result of their conditions. The investigators emphasized that although the psychological burden of skin diseases was evident in their study, these conditions often receive minimal research and funding. As a result of their findings, the investigators called policymakers to action to address the physical and psychological wellbeing of these patients. In a companion press release on the findings from the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, the study authors concluded: “This study highlights the alarming psychosocial challenge[s] faced by [patients] with skin diseases and underscores the need to provide psychological support to patients [as well as] to mitigate the stigmatization that patients endure in their personal and professional lives.”
November 01, 2023