Internalized Stigma and Its Relationship With Quality of Life and Perceived Health Status in Rosacea and Acne Vulgaris: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background Internalized stigma (IS) is the acceptance of unfavorable stereotypes about the disease that society has created and withdrawing from society with feelings of shame and worthlessness. Due to the visibility feature of facial skin diseases such as rosacea and acne vulgaris (AV), it is possible for them to cause IS. Objective We aimed to examine the level of IS in AV and rosacea patients and compare these patient groups as well. Methods Fifty-three AV and 46 rosacea patients aged 18-65 were included in this study. Internalized Stigma Scale (ISS) adapted for AV and rosacea were applied to all the patients. They also responded to the "Dermatology Life Quality Index" (DLQI) questionnaire. The relationship between IS levels and DLQI was investigated, and then acne and rosacea patients were compared with each other. Results Total DLQI, total ISS, and its subscales' scores of all patients were found to be positively correlated with each other. When rosacea and AV patients were compared with each other, there was no difference regarding DLQI and ISS scores. Conclusion AV and rosacea patients experience high IS, and it is significantly related to low quality of life and health status. They also have similar IS levels when compared with each other.