Prevalence and determinants of anxiety and depression in adult patients with atopic dermatitis in Tanzania

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease increasingly associated with psychiatric co­morbidities, particularly anxiety and depression. Yet, evidence from sub-Saharan Africa remains scarce. Objectives To determine the prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depression among adult patients with AD in Northern Tanzania. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre (RDTC) between January 2022 and July 2023. AD was diagnosed using the Hanifin and Rajka criteria, and severity assessed with Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD). Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the General Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 tools, respectively. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to identify associations. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results Overall, 241 adult patients with AD attending RDTC were enrolled, of whom 57.3% (n = 138/241) were women. The median age was 38 years (interquartile range 28–56). The prevalences of anxiety and depression were 41.5% and 30.3%, respectively. Anxiety was found to be associated with AD severity and cigarette smoking, while depression was significantly associated with female sex, age 40–59 years, occupation and AD severity. Conclusions A considerable proportion of patients with AD in Tanzania experience psychological distress. Routine mental health screening and integrated multidisciplinary care are crucial in AD management, especially in low-resource settings.