The relationship between body location and psychological morbidity in individuals with acne vulgaris

Although there has been extensive research into the pathogenesis and medical treatment of acne vulgaris, empirical studies concerning its impact on social and psychological health are scarce, partly because it is not considered life-threatening and partly because it is viewed as an inevitable age-related condition. To ascertain its psychological effects, individuals with acne vulgaris were compared with a matched non-dermatology sample. Within the acne group, a comparison was also made between facial and trunkal acne sufferers. Randomly matched independent participant groups were assessed using measures of self-esteem and body image. The results show that individuals with facial and trunkal acne exhibited significantly lower self-esteem and body image evaluations than control participants. Facial acne sufferers also showed poorer self-esteem and body image than trunkal acne individuals. These results suggest that acne, that is the visibility of the disorder, is a predictor for psychological morbidity and supports suggestions that there may be a causal relationship between acne location and the presentation of psychological disorder. This study highlights the importance of psychosocial parameters in the management of individuals with this condition and in the evaluation of new treatments.