January 2021: Skin disease, sleep, and mental health

In a cross-sectional study of greater than 28,000 subjects that was published in JAAD International, the authors evaluated the dermatologist-assessed prevalence of acne, rosacea, eczema, chronic urticaria, psoriasis, and vitiligo in a population of incoming first-year Chinese university students. 1 Shen M. Xiao Y. Su J. et al. Prevalence and patient-reported outcomes of noncommunicable skin diseases among college students in China. JAAD Int. 2020; 1: 23-30 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Google Scholar Beyond reporting the prevalence of these skin diseases, in asking participants to complete short depression and anxiety questionnaires, as well as a validated sleep quality scale, the authors were able to explore some of the myriad associations between skin disease and mental health. They found that eczema and psoriasis were associated with the most marked increases in depression and anxiety, respectively, and suggest that some of our dermatology patients may benefit from an awareness of these associated mental health outcomes. These findings highlight that not only is the burden of skin diseases important but also that the indirect and downstream behavioral effects and implications may have an effect that is more than skin deep.