The aim of this Australian community-based study was to examine longitudinally the relationship between skin disease and psychological morbidity in young women, testing the hypothesis that psychological morbidity (depression, anxiety, and stress) is a factor in the causation of skin disease. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health was designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well-being of women over a 20-year period. Data from 3 surveys (conducted in 2000, 2003, and 2006) of women, aged 22 to 27 years at the time of the first survey, randomly selected from the Australian National Medicare database was analysed. Participant numbers were 9688, 9081, and 8910, respectively.
Of 6630 women providing data on skin diseases on all 3 surveys, 8.0% (n = 523) reported having skin problems on all 3 occasions; 12.1% (n = 803) on 2 occasions; and 23.9% (n = 1582) on 1 occasion. On the 2000, 2003, and 2006 surveys, prevalence of skin problems was 24.2%, 23.9%, and 24.3%, respectively. In the generalized estimating equation models, depression symptoms and stress (but not anxiety) were significantly associated with skin problems..
"The findings of this relationship of depression and stress to skin disease may have considerable clinical implications, including implications for adjunctive psychological interventions in the management of patients with skin disease."
Perhaps. Medicine still struggles with measurements of stress, anxiety and depression. Skin problems may have induced stress / anxiety /depression, rather than the other way. Also, these terms may not equate with DSM - IV and are probably best considered psychological, rather than psychiatric, unlike the title of the article. Also, is the mere listing of stress etc in a survey the equivalent of morbidity in terms of measurement for research? Further, the self reporting of ‘skin disease’ is of concern in such a study.
For the full abstract, click here.
Arch Dermatol August 2009;145(8):896-902 © 2009 American Medical Association
The Relationship Between Psychiatric Illnesses and Skin Disease: A Longitudinal Analysis of Young Australian Women. Parker Magin, PhD, David Sibbritt, PhD and Kylie Bailey, MPsych(Clin).
Category: P. Psychological, S. Skin Keywords: psychiatric illness, skin disease, relationship, longitudinal analysis, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Stephen Wilkinson, Melbourne, Australia. Posted on Global Family Doctor September 1 2009
