by Lori Solomon

Atopic dermatitis (AD) negatively impacts patients' mental health (MH), especially when a patient has severe AD, according to a study published online March 14 in Dermatitis.

Jessica K. Johnson, M.P.H., from the National Eczema Association in San Rafael, California, and colleagues evaluated patient-reported MH symptoms and their correlation with AD disease severity. The analysis included results from 954 survey respondents.

The researchers found that 26.0 percent of respondents reported MH symptoms >10 days per month, and most adults (65.5 percent) scored in the borderline/abnormal range on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Seven in 10 respondents (70.6 percent) felt their MH was negatively affected by AD in the past 12 months. Perception of this association was impacted by AD severity, with respondents more likely to believe MH was impacted by AD when they or their child had severe AD.

"Patients and caregivers were aware of the connection between their/their child's AD symptoms and MH, suggesting the need for ongoing MH support and routine re-evaluation over the course of the disease," the authors write. "Future research may look at barriers to accessing MH services among the AD population and the extent to which providers who treat AD monitor and follow-up with their patients' MH."

One author disclosed advisory board honoraria from Pfizer and Incyte.

More information: Jessica K. Johnson et al, Patient and Caregiver Perspectives on the Relationship Between Atopic Dermatitis Symptoms and Mental Health, Dermatitis (2024). DOI: 10.1089/derm.2023.0365

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