Abstract
BackgroundAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease which has been known to negatively influence the mental health of patients. However, only a few studies have explored the prevalence of psychiatric problems among AD patients, particularly among adolescents. In this study, we aimed to assess the association of AD with depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors among adolescents by analyzing data from the 2013 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a nationwide web-based survey.MethodsData from 72,435 adolescent middle and high school students in Korea were analyzed. Students self-reported AD diagnosed by a doctor and yes-or-no answers to questions about depressive symptoms and suicide ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempts were analyzed. Relationships between AD and depressive symptoms or suicidal behaviors were tested by logistic regression models after controlling for potential confounding factors.ResultsThe proportion of adolescents who had AD was 6.8%. The proportion of adolescents reporting depressive feelings was 31.0%, suicide ideation was 16.3%, suicide planning was 5.8%, and suicide attempts was 4.2%. Compared to adolescents without AD, adolescents with AD were significantly more likely to experience depressive feelings (odds ratio [OR]: 1.27, 95% confidence interval [Cl]: 1.19-1.36), suicide ideation (OR: 1.34, 95% Cl: 1.24-1.45), suicide planning (OR: 1.46, 95% Cl: 1.32-1.65), and suicide attempts (OR: 1.51, 95% Cl: 1.33-1.72). In the multivariate model, the relationships between AD and suicide ideation (OR: 1.26, 95% Cl:1.16-1.36), suicide planning (OR: 1.28, 95% Cl:1.14-1.44), and suicide attempt (OR: 1.29, 95% Cl:1.13-1.49) were statistically significant.ConclusionAdolescents who have AD are associated with a higher prevalence of depression symptoms and suicidal behaviors. Adolescent AD patients may need interventions from clinicians and caregivers that use a holistic approach to prevent psychological comorbidities, although further research is needed to clarify this relationship.
Highlights
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease which has been known to negatively influence the mental health of patients
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by pruritic, erythematous lesions, which is typically localized on flexural areas, the face, or the hands and which usually manifests in early childhood [1]
Because the associations between AD and mental health outcomes were insignificant among boys in a previous study, the odds ratios (ORs) were further assessed stratified by sex to determine if there were any differences between both sexes
Summary
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease which has been known to negatively influence the mental health of patients. We aimed to assess the association of AD with depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors among adolescents by analyzing data from the 2013 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a nationwide web-based survey. In the Eighth Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS), a nation-wide web-based survey, conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012, 24% of adolescents responded that they had ever been diagnosed with AD [4]. The risk factors that contribute to an increased prevalence of AD include female sex [5], young age [5], higher socioeconomic status [6], smaller family size [7], and residence in an urban environment [8]
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