Acne and Psychological Characteristics

Abstract

In psychotherapeutic clinic, patients without marks of acne report this experience with a great emotional charge; this fact prompted us to have an interest in identifying what makes acne experience to be lived as a trauma. Observation, reflection and bibliographical review led us to affirm that, in individuals with acne, it is expected to find: decrease in the quality of dermatological life; increasing levels of depression, anxiety and/or stress; strategies of coping adapted to the problem situation, acne; disturbance in the capacity for symbolizing and modulating affective experiences (a characteristic of alexithymic individuals). In study I we used a qualitative approach: 45 semi-structured interviews to patients with/or who had acne and to 30 health care professionals. Content analysis enabled the construction of the ICA – Inventory of beliefs and behaviors about Acne and its treatment. In study II we applied a quantitative methodology to a pilot sample (N=367), with a protocol that includes a preliminary version of ICA and the IQV-D, Brief Code, EADS 21 and TAS-20. This application justified the restructuring of the protocol applied in study III with university students (N=1666). In study IV took part 95 dermatologists: they answered the questions on acne beliefs in ICA. These were compared with the data of studies II and III. In study V a comparative analysis of the different studies will be made. The analysis of the results of Studies II and III points to the existence of a relationship between having acne, psychological condition and the individual behaviors.