Evaluation of psychological well-being and social impact of atrophic acne scarring: A multinational, mixed-methods studyCapsule Summary

Jerry Tan, MD; Stefan Beissert, MD; Fran Cook-Bolden, MD; Rajeev Chavda, MD; Julie Harper, MD; Adelaide Hebert, MD; Edward Lain, MD, MBA; Alison Layton, MD, PhD; Marco Rocha, MD, PhD; Jonathan Weiss, MD; Brigitte Dréno, MD, PhD

JAAD International (Mar 2022)

Evaluation of psychological well-being and social impact of atrophic acne scarring: A multinational, mixed-methods studyCapsule Summary

Jerry Tan, MD,
Stefan Beissert, MD,
Fran Cook-Bolden, MD,
Rajeev Chavda, MD,
Julie Harper, MD,
Adelaide Hebert, MD,
Edward Lain, MD, MBA,
Alison Layton, MD, PhD,
Marco Rocha, MD, PhD,
Jonathan Weiss, MD,
Brigitte Dréno, MD, PhD

Affiliations

Jerry Tan, MD: Western University Canada, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Ontario, Canada
Stefan Beissert, MD: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
Fran Cook-Bolden, MD: Mount Sinai Department of Dermatology, New York, New York
Rajeev Chavda, MD: Galderma, La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland
Julie Harper, MD: The Dermatology and Skin Care Center of Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
Adelaide Hebert, MD: UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas
Edward Lain, MD, MBA: Austin Institute for Clinical Research, Pflugerville, Texas
Alison Layton, MD, PhD: Hull York Medical School, York University, York, United Kingdom
Marco Rocha, MD, PhD: Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Jonathan Weiss, MD: Georgia Dermatology Partners (formerly, Gwinnett Dermatology, PC), Snellville, Georgia
Brigitte Dréno, MD, PhD: Unité Thérapie Cellulaire et Génique, Faculté de Médecine de Nantes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France; Correspondence to: Brigitte Dréno, MD, PhD, Unité Thérapie Cellulaire et Génique, Faculté de Médecine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Place Alexis Ricordeau, 44093 Cedex 01, France.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6
pp. 43 – 50

Abstract

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Background: Most people with acne are at risk of developing acne scars, but the impact of these scars on patients' quality of life is poorly researched. Objective: To assess the perspective of patients with acne scars and the impact of these scars on their emotional well-being and social functioning. Methods: A 60-minute interview of 30 adults with acne scars informed and contextualized the development of a cross-sectional survey of 723 adults with atrophic acne scars. Results: The main themes identified in the qualitative interviews included acceptability to self and others, social functioning, and emotional well-being. In the cross-sectional survey, 31.6%, 49.6%, and 18.8% of the participants had mild, moderate, and severe/very severe acne scarring. The survey revealed that 25.7% of the participants felt less attractive, 27.5% were embarrassed or self-conscious because of their scars, 8.3% reported being verbally and/or physically abused because of their scars on a regular basis, and 15.9% felt that they were unfairly dismissed from work. In addition, 37.5% of the participants believed that their scars affected people's perceptions about them, and 19.7% of the participants were very bothered about hiding their scars daily. Moreover, 35.5% of the participants avoided public appearances, and 43.2% felt that their scars had negatively impacted their relationships. Limitations: The temporal evaluation of the impact was not estimated. Conclusion: Even mild atrophic acne scarring can evoke substantial emotional, social, and functional concerns.

Published in JAAD International

ISSN: 2666-3287 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Dermatology
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/jaad-international

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