Acne-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Shireen Dumont; Elsa Lorthe; Andrea Loizeau; Viviane Richard; Mayssam Nehme; Klara M Posfay-Barbe; Rémy P Barbe; Laurence Toutous Trellu; Silvia Stringhini; Idris Guessous; Roxane Dumont; SEROCoV-KIDS study group

doi:10.1093/ced/llae453

Acne-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Clin Exp Dermatol. 2024 Oct 19:llae453. doi: 10.1093/ced/llae453. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Shireen Dumont¹, Elsa Lorthe^{2

3

4}, Andrea Loizeau², Viviane Richard^{2

5}, Mayssam Nehme^{1

6}, Klara M Posfay-Barbe^{7

8}, Rémy P Barbe⁹, Laurence Toutous Trellu¹, Silvia Stringhini^{2

10

11}, Idris Guessous^{6

11}, Roxane Dumont²; SEROCoV-KIDS study group

Collaborators

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
² Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
³ Université Paris Cité, Inserm, INRAE, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics Paris (CRESS), Paris, France.
⁴ Geneva School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.
⁶ Division and Department of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁷ Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Woman, Child, and Adolescent Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology & Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁹ Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Woman, Child, and Adolescent Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁰ School of Population and Public Health and Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

PMID: 39425672
DOI: 10.1093/ced/llae453

Abstract

Backgrounds: Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin conditions worldwide among adolescents. Beyond its physical manifestations, acne can leave invisible psychological scars.

Objectives: We aimed to examine the protective and risk factors of acne-related quality of life, and its association with mental health outcomes.

Methods: The analysis included data collected in 2023 from adolescents enrolled in the SEROCoV-KIDS population-based cohort. By combining the Acne Severity and Acne-Quality of Life (Acne-QoL) scales, three groups were established: Acne-LowAQoL (adolescents with acne and low Acne-related Quality of Life), Acne-HighAQoL, and NoAcne-HighAQoL. We used multinomial and logistic regression to assess the association between health behaviours, these groups, and mental health outcomes.

Results: Among 335 adolescents (mean age 16.1 years [SD 1.8], 56% female), 65 (19.4%) reported experiencing acne while maintaining a high Acne-QoL, 26 (7.7%) reported having acne and a low Acne-QoL and 244 (72.9%) reported having nearly no acne. Low engagement in physical activity (aOR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.12-0.77), addictive use of social media (aOR: 3.78, 95%CI: 1.60-8.96), and prolonged screen time (aOR: 2.99, 95%CI: 1.26-7.08) were independently associated with Acne-LowAQoL. Conversely, those from the group Acne-HighAQoL reported higher social support (aOR: 1.95, 95%CI: 1.07-3.54). Adolescents with Acne-LowAQoL showed lower levels of self-esteem, resilience, and increased psychological distress.

Conclusions: Among adolescents with acne, physical activity and social support were positively associated with good acne-related quality of life, which translated into better mental health. In contrast, screen time and social media use notably reduced it. Dermatologists should incorporate these considerations into clinical practice to ensure effective patient care.