Psychosocial Impact of Acne Vulgaris among Adolescent Iraqi Patients.

Background: Acne vulgaris is one of the most common disorders affecting the skin which predominantly affects adolescents. Its impact is significant on the psychological well-being of an individual with depression and suicide ideation are the major consequences. Acne impact on the quality of life (QoL) among various populations and subgroups was assessed by several studies. Therefore, the current study will determine the impact of acne vulgaris severity on adolescents’ QoL. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted by recording both skin lesions severity depending on the Global Acne Grading Scale (GAGS) and its impact on the patient’s QoL (using the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) of all adolescents consulted Kirkuk Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk city. The correlation between GAGS and CADI results was then calculated. Results: A total of 65 patients complaining of acne vulgaris were included, 27/65 were males and 38/65 were females. Patients with severe acne vulgaris were not detected, 26/65 has moderate acne (GAGS 19-30), and 39/65 has mild acne (GAGS 1-18). The correlation between acne severity measured by (GAGS) and the psychological impact measured by (CADI) was not significant with p-value <0.05. Conclusion: The correlation between acne vulgaris severity and the resulting psychosocial impact is not significant. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate this issue at a larger scale and to determine the reliability of the existing scoring systems of acne vulgaris impact on psychological wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]