Study on Psychiatric Morbidity among Young Patients of Acne Vulgaris at Tertiary Care Institute

Background: Acne vulgaris is a skin condition occurs mainly in adolescents and young adults. It can affect an appearance of a person adversely. The impact of acne on the psychological well being has been the object of increasing attention in recent years. Most of the studies which have been conducted to identify the psychopathologies in patients with acne vulgaris have focused their attention on depression and anxiety. Aim: The aim of the present study was to identify sociodemographic profile and the psychiatric morbidity in patients with acne vulgaris as well as coping mechanisms used by them. Setting and Design: A descriptive observational study was conducted in the department of dermatology and psychiatry at a tertiary health care institute. Material and Method: Hundred patients of acne vulgaris were selected. They were interviewed using a special proforma, screened using Mini –international Neuropsychiatry interview English Version 6.0.0 and mechanism of coping scale by Parikh et al. Statistical Analysis Used: The data was analysed using SPSS version 19 & EPI INFO software. Result: Psychiatric morbidity was found in 35% of the study population. Psychiatric morbidity was found more in females, patients from nuclear families, patients living in rural areas and acne with grade 3 & 4. It is also found that coping mechanisms problem solving & expressive action were used more by the patients without any psychiatric morbidity. On the other hand, coping mechanisms fatalism & passivity were used more by the patients with psychiatric morbidity. Conclusion: Patients with acne vulgaris in whom psychiatric morbidity is present, should be routinely evaluated and their psychiatric morbidity need to be treated for maximise their health.