Acne Raises Risk for Mental Health Issues in Young Adults, Especially Sexual Minorities

Acne is associated with an increased risk for mental health issues among young adults, especially sexual minorities, according to a recent study.

Acne, which causes physical disfigurement, is known to be associated with a higher risk for depression and suicidal ideation. Higher rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and body image issues are reported among sexual minorities, compared with heterosexual individuals. Therefore, the risk for developing mental health problems may be higher among sexual minorities with acne.

To examine this hypothesis, the researchers assessed heterosexual (n = 4094) and sexual minority (n = 564) US adults age 18 to 28 years. Data were obtained from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent to Adult Health.

The researchers defined acne as the use of a prescription acne medication within the past year. For analyses, participants were stratified by acne status and sexual orientation. Unadjusted prevalence rates and unadjusted and multivariate-adjusted prevalence odds ratios for all primary outcomes were calculated. Primary outcomes included any history of depression and recent clinical depression, suicidal ideation, antidepressant use, and psychological counseling.

Results indicated that acne was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting a history of depression and suicidal ideation. Among patients with and without acne, sexual minorities had a higher likelihood of reporting all primary outcomes, compared with heterosexual adults. Furthermore, the relative increased odds of suicidal ideation were higher in sexual minorities with acne (35.4%) than in heterosexual adults (7.8%), vs sexual minorities (15.3%) and heterosexual adults (5.3%) without acne.

“Dermatologists should be aware of the increased risk for mental health issues among patients with acne, particularly sexual minorities with acne,” the researchers concluded. “Validated screening tools to assess sexual orientation and depression among patients with acne may identify at-risk individuals and expedite referral for psychological care. Prospective studies are needed to further explore the relationship between acne, sexual orientation, and mental health.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Gao Y, Wei EK, Arron ST, Linos E, Margolis DJ, Mansh MD. Acne, sexual orientation, and mental health among young adults in the United States: a population-based, cross-sectional study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017;77(5):971-973. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2017.06.004.