An Investigation On The Effects Of Acne Vulgaris On The Quality Of Life And Depression Of Patients

Objective To understand the effect degree of acne vulgaris on quality of life and depression in patients and analyze its influencing factors, so as to supply scientific evidences for a comprehensive, systematic treatment of acne, improving the patients’quality of life, and to provide the scientific basis for developing effective measures to prevent acne.Methods The out-patients of acne vulgaris visiting the dermatology of the Third Xiangya hospital between October2010and June2011were selected, and surveyed by questionnaires. The patients’quality of life in the past week was assessed by Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and the depression mood was evaluated by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), influencing factors by self-designed questionnaire. The data was imported by Epidata software (version3.1) and processed by SPSS software package (version16.0). The statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Spearman rank correlation, Wilcoxon rank sum test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, multiple linear regression and multinomial logistic regression.Results1. A total of295questionnaires were issued and287questionnaires were recycled effectively. There were187women, consisting of65.2%and100men, consisting of34.8%; the age of patients was between18and40years, with an average of22.49±3.96years; the patients with the severity of acne vulgaris from Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ to Ⅳ are accounting for57.5%,19.5%,13.2%and9.8%, respectively. The course of disease was between1month and15years, with an average of3.13±3.10years.2. The DLQI score range for all patients’quality of life was between0and28with an average of5.28.The main impact of Acne on the patients’quality of life was pain or itching, embarrassment or inferiority and the effection on their social and leisure activities.Single factor analysis showed that age, severity of acne, acne pathogenesis were association with the patients’quality of life, but the gender variable had no relation. Multiple regression analysis showed that the severity of acne affected the patients’quality of life.3. The BDI score of287patients was between0and44with an average of8.55.181patients had an varying degrees of depression (BDI score≥5) and the detection rate was63.1%, of which mild depression129cases(44.9%), moderate depression28(9.8%) and severe depression24cases (8.4%).The suffering caused by acne was mainly sad, pessimistic and a decrease of attention to others (social withdrawal).4. The results of single factor showed that gender, the severity of acne, course of acne related with depression, but the variable of age had no effect. The results of multinomial logistic regression indicated gender, the severity of acne, the course of acne were associated with mild and more serious depression.5. The factors relating to mild depression or moderate and above depression of acne patients were gender, the severity of acne and the course of acne. Female patients were more likely to suffer mild or moderate and above depression (OR=3.62, OR=2.63); the risk of mild depression or moderate and above depression for acne patients increased as the severity adding (OR=2.31, OR=4.51); the patients whose acne course was between1and3years or whose ill course was beyond3years were more likely to get mild depression than the patients whose acne course was below1year (OR=4.30or OR=7.44). the patients whose acne course was beyond3years were more likely to get moderate and above depression than the patients whose acne course was below1year (OR=3.60).Conclusions1. The Acne Vulgaris has a significantly negative impact on patients’ quality of life, mainly causing pain or pruritus, rising an embarrassing or inferiority and affecting their social and leisure activities, and so on.2. The more serious acne vulgaris, the worse patient’s quality of life.3. Most of acne patients have a different degree of depression, mainly for sadness, pessimism and social withdrawal.4. The patients who are female, whose acne course is longer, whose acne vulgaris is more serious are more likely to suffering varying degrees of depression.