Assessing top quality of life measures in Acne Vulgaris studies: a crucial dimension in patient-centric care.

This study examines the origins and utilization trends of top quality-of-life (QoL) measures in acne research. A literature search on PubMed identified the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI), and Acne Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (Acne-QoL) as the most frequently used QoL measures in studies on Acne Vulgaris. The DLQI was implemented in 142 studies it since its inception, compared to 43 utilizing CADI and 21 utilizing Acne-QoL. Despite it not being acne-specific, DLQI's usage surpassed other measures by over 50% annually since 2006. While DLQI displayed the steepest rise in utilization, usage of all measures increased significantly from 2010 to 2020. This trend underscores the growing emphasis on patient-centered outcomes in acne research, highlighting the need to incorporate both patient-reported and objective outcomes to better capture disease severity and its impact on patients' lives. For dermatologists, QoL indices can expand disease severity beyond purely objective clinical measurements.

Appearance Dissatisfaction and Body Dysmorphic Disorder in the Dermatology Patient.

Dermatologists routinely see patients with inflammatory skin conditions and aesthetic concerns that involve substantial psychological comorbidity. However, most dermatologists do not receive formal training in this area, and many are unsure how to best help treat certain patients holistically. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a common and distressing psychiatric condition that disproportionately impacts dermatology patients, including patients living with chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as acne and atopic dermatitis. BDD is characterized by preoccupation with nonexistent or minimally noticeable flaws in physical appearance that cause clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning. Adolescent populations may be particularly vulnerable to clinically significant body image dissatisfaction, including BDD, due to the high prevalence of acne and the pervasive role of social media platforms. The rise of social media may exacerbate body image issues through repetitive exposure to idealized and often unrealistic beauty standards. Though screening questionnaires can assist dermatologists in recognizing BDD, dermatologists must collaborate with mental health providers to provide comprehensive care to vulnerable patients, including adolescents.J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(7):545-550.  doi:10.36849/JDD.8156.

Recommendations for managing adult acne and adolescent acne based on an epidemiological study conducted in China.

There are numerous differences between adult acne and adolescent acne in terms of causes, distribution, and characteristics of skin lesions, as well as treatment. This paper aims to summarize the differences between adult and adolescent acne in China, in order to propose more suitable ways to improve their quality of life. We collected basic information, acne-related information, acne-affecting factors, quality of life scores and treatment-related information of acne patients. A total of 552 questionnaires were collected. Adult acne is typically predominant on the cheeks, similar to adolescent acne, with a relatively lower incidence in other areas, apart from the jawline. Pigmentation and depressed scars are present in nearly half of acne patients, while hypertrophic scars are less frequently observed. Teenagers often have a higher consumption of dairy products, sugary drinks, and high-sugar and high-fat foods. Eczema is more common in adult acne. Additionally, more adults than teenagers experience stress and poor quality of life related to acne. Adolescents are more likely to seek treatment online and on social media. Clinicians must thoroughly evaluate diverse risk factors and formulate personalized acne management strategies for patients with different types of acne.

Social anxiety and psychological distress among polycystic ovarian syndrome patient's in Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the fear of negative evaluation as a predictor, and to explore the association of social anxiety with psychological correlates among women with polycystic ovaries. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to November 2021 after approval form the University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised unmarried women aged 18-26 diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. The sample was raised from different clinics and hospitals based in Lahore and Gujranwala cities. The sample was divided into obese, hirsutism and acne vulgaris groups. Data was collected using a demographic proforma along with standardised Derriford Appearance Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale. Data was analysed using SPSS 24. RESULTS: Of the 180 patients, 60(33.3%) were in each of the 3 groups. The overall mean age was 21.4+/-2.27 years. A significant association of fear of negative evaluation was found with appearance distress, social anxiety and loneliness (p<0.05). The fear of negative evaluation and appearance distress also significantly predicted loneliness in the subjects (p<0.01). The obese group scored significantly higher in terms of fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety compared to the other groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Women with polycystic ovaries were found to be suffering from adverse psychological outcomes and social anxiety.

Acne influences life-changing decisions among young adults.

BACKGROUND: Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly affecting young people. This study was undertaken to assess the impact of acne in young adults on their major life-changing decisions (MLCD), paying attention to the relationships between major life-changing decisions profile (MLCDP) and Quality of Life (QoL), feeling of stigmatization and acceptance of the disease. METHODS: The study was performed on 213 young people diagnosed with acne. A variety of questionnaires were employed to measure the clinical and psychological aspects of acne. RESULTS: The majority of patients (N.=148, 73.3%) reported at least one MLCD that acne affected in any way (mean number 2.9±3.2, range: 0-18). The most common MLCD influenced by acne appeared to be a decision of changing eating habits (N.=132, 65.3%), followed by changing habits associated with smoking and alcohol (N.=85, 42.1%) and deciding to be more active physically (N.=61, 30.2%). The total score of MLCDP ranged from 0 to 33 points (mean 5.41±6.23 points). MLCDP total score significantly correlated with clinical acne severity (P=0.006), QoL (P<0.001), stigmatization (P<0.001) and illness acceptance (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Acne has an important impact on life-changing decisions in young adults. MLCDP correlates with impaired QoL, level of stigmatization and degree of illness acceptance. This should be taken into consideration in the holistic approach to acne patients.

The occurrence of mental health symptoms in isotretinoin-treated adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Isotretinoin treatment for acne can reduce adverse psychiatric outcomes in adults, but there has been little investigation of the incidence of psychiatric outcomes in treated adolescents. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study using the Rochester Epidemiology Project identified 606 patients aged 12-18 prescribed isotretinoin over a 10-year period between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2017. Medical records were reviewed to identify psychiatric diagnoses before and during isotretinoin therapy, as well as psychiatric symptoms not captured by formal diagnoses and changes to isotretinoin dosing because of psychiatric diagnoses or symptoms. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-seven (29.2%) had a psychiatric diagnosis prior to isotretinoin initiation, but 98 (16.2%) had a new psychiatric diagnosis or psychiatric symptom while taking isotretinoin. Patients with a psychiatric history were no more likely than those without to receive a new psychiatric diagnosis during treatment (4.5% vs. 3.7%; p = .650), but did experience more psychiatric symptoms, primarily low mood and mood swings (23.7% vs. 7.7%; p < .001). Only 25.5% of the 98 with a new psychiatric diagnosis or psychiatric symptom had a subsequent dose change. A dose change was more likely if patients received a new psychiatric diagnosis (41.7% vs. 20.3%; p = .037) or patients did not have a psychosocial explanation for psychiatric symptoms (34.4% vs. 10.8%; p = .009). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of adolescent patients prescribed isotretinoin had a prior psychiatric diagnosis. This predicts more psychiatric symptoms during isotretinoin treatment. Adolescents with a psychiatric history who have worsening symptoms and those with new-onset psychiatric symptoms would benefit from close monitoring while taking isotretinoin.

Patients' testimonies, feelings, complaints and emotional experiences with dermatoses on open social media: The French infodemiologic patient's free speech study.

BACKGROUND: Dermatoses represent a significant burden. Patients and their caregivers can turn to social media and digital communities to exchange with each other. These public exchanges constitute real-life data that can be analysed to better understand the patients' feelings and expectations, and the daily difficulties encountered. OBJECTIVE: An infodemiologic study of public testimonies of patients and caregivers related to five dermatoses: eczema, rosacea, vitiligo, acne and psoriasis, over a 3-year time frame (September 2018 to September 2021) in France. To identify main topics of discussion, encountered difficulties and unmet medical needs. METHODS: Data extraction was performed based on a list of pertinent keywords. Web-users' profiles were determined by a specifically trained machine learning algorithm. Encountered difficulties were identified by manual annotation based on a standardized search grid. Co-occurrence analysis of difficulties allowed contextualization of challenges and unmet needs for each dermatosis. RESULTS: A total of 20,282 messages coming from 16,800 web users was extracted. The main topics of discussion were 'Impact on self- image and self-confidence' (23.6%), 'Generic discussion about therapeutics' (23.3%) and 'Burden of others' gaze' (12.8%). The top three mentioned difficulties for the five targeted dermatoses were similar and focused on 'Fear of/and management of symptoms', 'Impact on/and mood management' and 'Damaged self-image'. CONCLUSION: This infodemiologic study highlighted the real-life management of five skin diseases by patients and their caregivers, who turned to social networks to openly express their suffering and seek solutions. The joined analysis of the five diseases enabled a common comprehension of what it is to live with a skin disease, from a patient-centric point of view. The specific analysis of each patient group objectified specific challenges, and main unmet medical needs.

Anatomical variants of acne differ in their impact on social perception.

BACKGROUND: Acne negatively affects quality of life, however quality-of-life scores poorly correlate with disease severity scores. Previous research demonstrated existence of facial areas in which skin lesions have greater impact on gaze patterns. Therefore, we hypothesized that anatomical variants of acne may be perceived differently. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate effect of anatomical variants of acne on natural gaze patterns and resulting impact on social perception of acne patients. METHODS: We tracked eye movements of participants viewing neutral and emotional faces with acne. Images were rated for acne-related visual disturbance, and emotional faces were rated for valence intensity. Respondents of an online survey were asked to rate their perception of pictured individuals' personality traits. RESULTS: All faces with acne were perceived as less attractive and received poorer personality judgements with mid-facial acne presenting smallest deviation from healthy faces. T-zone and mixed acne exhibited the least significant difference in respondents gaze behaviour pattern from each other. In addition, there was no significant difference in respondents' grading of acne visual disturbance or ratings for attractiveness, success and trustworthiness. U-zone adult female acne was rated as the most visually disturbing and received the lowest scores for attractiveness. Happy faces with adult female acne were rated as less happy compared to other acne variants and clear-skin faces. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomic variants of acne have a distinct impact on gaze patterns and social perception. Adult female acne has the strongest negative effect on recognition of positive emotions in affected individuals, attractiveness ratings and forming social impressions. If perioral acne lesions are absent, frontal lesions determine impact of acne on social perception irrespective of the presence of mid-facial lesions. This perceptive hierarchy should be taken into consideration while deciding treatment goals in acne patients, prioritizing achieving remission in perioral and frontal area.

The Acne Education Project: An educational initiative to improve acne health literacy and promote help-seeking behavior in young adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory skin condition that is associated with poor acne health literacy. Diminished acne health literacy leads to delays in the access of health care, resulting in mismanagement, disfigurement, and psychosocial morbidity. This study evaluates the potential role of early acne education in young adolescent populations to improve acne health literacy and facilitate help-seeking behavior. METHODS: The Acne Education Project is a Canadian medical student-led initiative founded to create evidence-based resources to increase acne health literacy. A 45-min interactive Zoom presentation on acne was created and delivered to 2292 students ages 9-13 in British Columbia, Canada. A quality improvement survey was administered pre-intervention, immediate post-intervention, and 1-month post-intervention to evaluate baseline acne knowledge and knowledge retention to guide presentation and resource development. RESULTS: Responses from 676 unique individuals were collected. Analysis using linear mixed-effects models demonstrated that respondents were significantly more confident in their general knowledge of acne, strategies to prevent acne, identification of psychosocial sequelae of acne, and more willing to seek help immediately post-intervention (p < .001). Differences in scores were not fully preserved in magnitude at the 1-month post-intervention assessment. However, students still scored significantly higher in all categories compared to the pre-intervention baseline (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that early acne education can improve acne health literacy and promote help-seeking behavior. Given the potential long-term implications, further research is needed to explore the long-term impact of early acne education and the benefit of integrating acne education into the public education curriculum in Canada.

Common Skin Diseases and Their Psychosocial Impact among Jazan Population, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey during 2023.

Background and Objectives: Skin problems are a widespread issue that affects people in both developing and wealthy countries, posing significant public health concerns. These disorders can profoundly impact individuals' social and psychological well-being. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of the most common skin diseases in the Jazan region of southwestern Saudi Arabia and investigate their impact on patients' quality of life and psychological and social well-being. Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional survey conducted among a random sample of 940 adults ≥ 18 years in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Four standardized questionnaires were used for data collection: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Loneliness Scale (ULS-8). Results: The most prevalent skin conditions involved hair loss, which was reported by (61.1%) of the study population. These disorders significantly affected a higher percentage of females (71.9%) compared to males (46.3%) (p < 0.001). Melasma was more common in females (14.1%) than in males (4.3%) p < 0.001. The lowest prevalence was found for urticaria. Those with acne and hair loss reported higher mean scores on the PHQ-9 Scale than the group without these conditions (p < 0.05 for all). Patients with alopecia, acne, and melasma also reported significantly lower self-esteem scores compared to those without these skin conditions (p < 0.05 for all). Regarding the activity domain of QoL, participants with skin conditions reported no problems doing usual activities, compared to those without skin problems (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In conclusion, research revealed that the most prevalent skin condition was hair loss. Further, an association was found between skin diseases and the mental and social well-being of those affected, resulting in a negative impact on their quality of life. The results call for improving the condition of patients with skin diseases, improving their quality of life, and providing appropriate interventions.

Dermatology in Contemporary Times: Building Awareness of Social Media's Association With Adolescent Skin Disease and Mental Health.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of psychological disorders to the burden of skin disease has been poorly explored in adolescent patients. The review aims to provide insights into the psychological, social, occupational, and social medias' association with acne, atopic dermatitis (AD), and aesthetics in adolescent patients. METHODS: The project used a modified Delphi process comprising face-to-face discussions followed up online.  The systematic literature search results informed the 14 draft statements. During an expert panel meeting, the draft statements underwent the panel's evaluation at a workshop, followed by a plenary discussion adopting five statements using evidence from the literature coupled with the panel's opinions and experiences.  Results: Studies reported an association between poor sleep, social impairment, and mental health disorders, including body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) with acne or AD in adolescents with acne or AD. Education for patients and parents may improve self-management skills and self-responsibility, promoting better outcomes for acne and AD. The use of certain types of social media can contribute to unrealistic expectations regarding the outcomes of cosmetic procedures. Social media use may also be associated with, and potentially contribute to unrealistic appearance expectations and certain mental health conditions. However, social media use may have benefits, such as connection, diversity, social support, increased self-esteem, safe identity experimentation, and an increased opportunity for self-disclosure.  Conclusions: The association with negative life events, BDD, suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety are thought to be high for adolescent patients with acne or AD. Using social media for information has both positive and negative aspects. Awareness of the risks and benefits of receiving health information about dermatological disease among adolescents needs to be improved through the education of patients and clinicians. Action-oriented items need to be developed to help dermatologists address these issues in clinical practice.Rieder EA, Andriessen A, Cutler V, et al. Dermatology in contemporary times: building awareness of social media's association with adolescent skin disease and mental health. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(8):817-825. doi:10.36849/JDD.7596.

An overlooked burden of acne in adolescents: the psychosocial well-being of their families.

INTRODUCTION: Acne vulgaris is significantly associated with an increased burden of care and has an important impact on the quality of life (QoL) and self-esteem of affected individuals. We aimed to assess the QoL of adolescents with acne and their families as well as the association of QoL with acne severity, treatment response, duration of acne and localization of lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample included a total of 100 adolescents with acne vulgaris, 100 healthy controls and their parents. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, presentation of acne, duration of acne, treatment history, treatment response, and parental sex. We used the Global Acne Severity scale, Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI), and the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI). RESULTS: In the group of patients with acne, the mean CDLQI score in the patients was 7.89 (SD, 5.43) and the mean FDLQI score in the parents was 6.01 (SD, 6.11). In the control group, the mean CDLQI score in healthy controls was 3.92 (SD, 3.88) and the mean FDLQI score in their family members was 2.12 (SD, 2.91). We found a statistically significant difference between the acne and control groups in CDLQI and FDLQI scores (P < .001). There were also statistically significant differences in the CDLQI score based on the duration of acne and the response to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with acne and their parents had a decreased QoL compared with healthy controls. Acne was associated with impaired QoL in family members. Assessing QoL in the family in addition to that of the patient may allow an improved management of acne vulgaris.

Mood changes and clinical decision making in adolescent patients on isotretinoin therapy for acne vulgaris.

Although numerous studies have demonstrated no causal relationship between isotretinoin and depression or suicide, subtle mood changes and idiosyncratic mood symptoms have been reported in patients on isotretinoin treatment for acne vulgaris, and few studies have described the full range of mood symptoms and clinical course after a mood change arises. We reviewed 247 patients, ages 10-25 years, with acne vulgaris on isotretinoin and found that 26/247 (10.5%) patients experienced mood changes, the most common being depressive symptoms, anxiety, aggression, and emotional lability. Regardless of treatment management, 22/25 (88%) patients experienced improvement of mood symptoms to baseline, and 22/25 (88%) were able to complete their isotretinoin course without symptom recurrence. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring for a broad range of mood changes in patients on isotretinoin, especially those related to a pre-existing mood disorder and including those which do not meet formal criteria for a psychiatric disorder.

Impulsivity in patients with acne excoriee.

BACKGROUND: Impulsivity is the tendency to make decisions and act quickly without adequate planning and anticipating risks. Impulsivity is among the core symptoms of many psychiatric disorders. In addition, impulsivity can affect the course of various diseases shaped by behaviors. AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the presence of acne excoriee and different impulsivity dimensions. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study. METHODS: Thirty patients with acne excoriee (AE+) and 30 acne vulgaris patients without excoriated lesions (AE-) enrolled in this study. Impulsivity was evaluated by The Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS). In addition, The Beck Anxiety Inventory, The Beck Depression Inventory, and The Skin Picking Scale were applied to assess the clinical characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: AE+ patients had higher non-planning subscale scores of BIS than AE- patients in this study. In addition, the acne-picking severity score determined by The Skin Picking Scale was positively correlated with non-planning subscale scores of BIS. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that AE patients have a lack of forethought. In other words, it has been shown that impulsive personality traits, which indicate a lack of planning for the future, may be associated with the acne-picking behavior of the patients.

Perspectives and knowledge of acne vulgaris among young adolescents.

Acne occurs in up to 90% of young adolescents, but prior research has found that this population exhibits a limited understanding of acne and is vulnerable to myths and misinformation accumulated from family members, friends, and social media. We created a virtual presentation on skin hygiene, acne prevention, and acne-associated stigma for adolescent youth (aged 9-13) to improve acne health literacy, which was reviewed by three board-certified dermatologists. A descriptive cross-sectional study using data collected for quality improvement (n = 209, total) revealed that approximately half (n = 102/202, 50.5%) of all students believed that acne could not be treated with medications, only 34.0% (n = 67/197) believed acne could impact their mental health, and most students incorrectly believed that dirt buildup (n = 124/209, 59.3%) and poor hygiene (n = 125/209, 59.8%) were pathogenic for acne. Our results stress the necessity of early evidence-based educational interventions as a cornerstone to breaking self-perpetuating myths and misinformation that may lead to acne mismanagement, delayed access to healthcare, and permanent scarring later in life.

Acne among Patients Visiting Outpatient Department of Dermatology Centres.

Introduction: Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting the pilosebaceous unit. The clinical manifestations of acne include the development of comedones, papules, and pustules. Although generally considered benign, acne can have psychological impacts and cause disfiguring scars. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of acne among patients visiting outpatient department of dermatology centres. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients visiting tertiary care skin centres from 15 June 2023 to 15 August 2023. The ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee. The severity of acne severity and scarring was determined. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Among 2036 patients, acne was found in 386 (18.96%) (17.26-20.66, 95% Confidence Interval). The majority of participants have acne scar grade 2 (65.20%). Conclusions: The prevalence of acne among patients was found to be higher than in other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: acne; scars; prevalence.

Influence of Selected Food Product Groups Consumption Frequency on Acne-Related Quality of Life in a National Sample of Polish Female Adolescents.

Acne vulgaris affects over 80% of adolescents, mainly female ones, and may reduce their general quality of life, so its prevention and treatment are becoming necessary, while among the options for acne management, the potential influence of diet is indicated. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of selected food product groups consumption frequency on acne-related quality of life in a national sample of Polish female adolescents. The studied population of 1370 Polish female adolescents was gathered using random quota sampling of secondary schools representative of the whole country. The acne-related quality of life was assessed using the Acne Quality of Life (AQoL) Scale with the calculated Social Quality of Life (SOCQOL) Score, as well as the Acne Disability Questionnaire (ADQ) with the calculated Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI). The acne-related food product groups' consumption frequency was assessed using the Acne-specific Food Frequency Questionnaire (Acne-FFQ). There were no differences in food product consumption between subgroups stratified by the acne-related quality of life (p > 0.05), and there was no correlation between food product consumption and the results of the SOCQOL Score (p > 0.05). For the CADI, positive correlations were indicated for fast foods (p = 0.0450; R = 0.0688), salty snacks (p = 0.0342; R = 0.0727), and chocolate confectionary (p = 0.0147; R = 0.0837), while a negative correlation was indicated for dairy beverages other than milk (p = 0.0414; R = -0.0701). In the studied group of Polish female adolescents, fast foods, salty snacks, and chocolate confectionary were indicated as potential acne-promoting factors, while dairy beverages other than milk were indicated as a potential acne-protective factor.

Psychological Therapies and Mind-Body Techniques in the Management of Dermatologic Diseases: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: There is a clear link between skin disease and psychological factors and this relationship works both ways: skin diseases can cause psychological distress and psychological issues can worsen skin disease. There are a number of therapies that approach this problem from the psychological side and may be useful, especially as adjunctive therapies in select patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to determine the efficacy of various psychological therapies and mind-body techniques in the management of common dermatologic diseases in individuals of all ages. METHODS: A systematic review of PubMed, Elsevier, and Wiley was performed for studies investigating psychological and mind-body interventions in the management of various skin diseases. Both physical and non-physical treatment outcomes were considered. Studies were evaluated for both risk of bias and overall quality of evidence. RESULTS: A total of 40 articles studying unique sets of dermatological patients receiving psychological therapies or mind-body interventions were identified. Of the 40 included articles encompassing 3112 patients, 18 investigated these interventions in psoriasis management while 15 focused on atopic dermatitis. The remaining studies investigated vitiligo (2), pruritus (2), acne vulgaris (2), and acne excoriée (1). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the analysis of included studies and an assessment of their quality of evidence, the most promising interventions are cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and habit reversal therapy.

Prevalence and psychosocial impact of acne vulgaris among high school and university students in Sarawak, Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition that affects adolescents and young adults. Its psychosocial impact can be significant. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of acne vulgaris and its psychosocial impact among high school and university students in Kuching, Sarawak. In addition, the clinical characteristics of acne and its potential predisposing factors were assessed. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among high school and university students in Kuching, Sarawak. A team of dermatology-trained doctors examined a representative sample of high school and university students aged 16 to 25 years to identify acne vulgaris. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was used to assess the psychosocial impact of acne on affected individuals. The Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) was used to determine the severity of acne. Demographic data and clinical characteristics of acne were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 582 students aged 16 to 25 years were recruited. The overall prevalence of acne vulgaris was 75.8% (n=441). The prevalence of acne was highest (85.5%) in the age group of 16-18 years. There was a significantly higher tendency for male students to have moderate to severe acne (p=0.010). A significantly higher proportion of female students had impaired quality of life (p<0.001) compared to male students. In comparison to male students, the mean DLQI scores were significantly higher in female students in the domains of 'Work and school' and 'Personal relationship' (p<0.05). There were 41 students who had a very large impact on the quality of life with a DLQI score of 11-20 and 34 (82.9%) of them had mild acne. There was a significantly higher proportion of students who had frequent insomnia in the group of students with acne compared to those without acne (11.6% vs. 4.3%, p=0.011). There was no significant association of acne vulgaris with dietary intakes, such as chocolates, sweets, potato chips, yoghurt, milk, fried chicken, ice cream, nuts and carbonated drinks (p>0.05). Of the 441 students with acne, 247 (56%) had not sought any medical attention. CONCLUSION: Acne vulgaris impacts the quality of life similarly to psoriasis, atopic eczema, and chronic urticaria. In mild acne cases, the quality of life may be significantly affected. Therefore, acne education is required in high schools and colleges to ensure that students understand their disease and are aware of available treatments.