Anxiety and Depression According to the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale in Patients with Acne Vulgaris at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Dermato-Venereology, Vietnam

Abstract

Tro Chau Van, Quynh Nguyen Truc, Hao Nguyen Trong, Bac Pham Van, Trung Quang Vo.

Background: Acne is a chronic disease that commonly affects the face and has significant psychological effects on individuals. Because of its negative effect on physical appearance, the disease may result in several mental disorders, particularly anxiety and depression. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with acne and to assess the factors associated with these two conditions in patients at the Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC) Hospital of Dermato-Venereology, Vietnam.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 384 patients with acne and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers without acne were enrolled from October 2018 to July 2019. The anxiety and depression levels were evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire, and acne severity was graded with the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS). Data were analyzed with STATA version 14.2 software.
Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 57.55% and 23.7%, respectively, for the patient group, versus 27% and 14%, respectively, for the control group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). The age of onset and the severity of acne were related to anxiety, while occupation was associated with depression (P<0.05). Anxiety and depression also showed a significant association among individuals (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Levels of anxiety and depression were higher in patients with acne than in healthy controls. Increased psychosocial morbidities were also associated with acne severity, the age of onset, and the patient’s occupation. Therefore, anxiety and depression should be taken into consideration in acne treatment and management protocols.