Psychosocial Impact of Acne: A Community Based Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: It is well-known that acne vulgaris is a common malady of adolescence and is easily recognized Objective: To evaluate the level of impact among acne patients on their quality of life. Methods: A total of 200 patients studied. Acne severity was graded using Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) after the clinical diagnosis. All the patients went through self-administered questionnaire of Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) to fill out, to assess the reflection of patients’ experiences and perceptions. Result: Out of 200 patients, 114(57.0%) were females and 86(43.0%) were males. The maximum number of patients was in the age group of 16-20 years (142/200, 71%). Out of total 86 males, 50 (58.3%) had moderate to severe acne, whereas 62(54.38%) females had such a severe acne. 50.87% (58/114) of females had high CADI scores in comparison to only 27.9(24/86) of males. The impact on quality of life was more in the age-group of 21-30 years even though in this age group clinical severity of acne was mild to moderate only. Conclusion: Study found that individuals with acne had profound emotional, as well as, social impact on their quality of life.