BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: the skin defines the essence of beauty and overall perceived attention within a social context. As such, there is a relationship between skin diseases and the extent of provoked emotional psychological disturbances and social concern that the sufferers do have. This study therefore seeks to ascertain levels of anxiety and their psychosocial consequences among sufferers of acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria in dermatological outpatient in Abuja-Nigeria. MATERIALS/METHODS: this study was a prospective, cross sectional study carried out on consecutive consented dermatological outpatients who had acne vulgaris (N = 62) and chronic urticaria (N = 31) over a period of nine months (June 2013-February 2014) and 50 apparently healthy control matched for age and sex were recruited into the study. Diagnosis of acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria were clinically made. Questions on State Trait Anxiety Index STAI (Y-1) form were used to determine their present feelings and level of perceived anxiety within the society as a result of acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria. Total STAI score greater than 54 suggests severe level of anxiety and univariate analysis of variance was used to determine relationship between anxiety and its social consequences. Data was keyed into and analysed with SPSS 20.RESULTS: ratio of male: female for subjects is 1:1.9 and 1:1.3 for controls while mean age in years ± Standard Deviation (SD) for subjects and controls were 29.02 ± (9.2) and 28.42 ± (8.3) respectively. There was sex and age match between subjects and controls. Also, there was observable moderate to severe anxiety among those that had acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria as compared to apparently healthy controls. Low self-esteem, inferiority complex, lack of self-confidence, and social withdrawal, were among the common social reactions noticeable among the subject group. Mean STAI score ± s.e (standard error) of subjects was significantly higher than that of the controls 49.7 ± 0.788 and 33.9 ± 1.255 respectively at t-test = 11.2 and p = 0.0001. CONCLUSION: acne vulgaris and chronic urticaria was highly associated with moderate to severe anxiety with attending social reactions when compared to apparently healthy controls.

BackgroundThe skin as one of the largest organs in the body mirrors our emotion. Exhaustive inquiry of a dermatology patients' life experience might help to provide insight and understanding to coping and the need for psychological counselling which might help in long term remission of such dermatoses. Methods and MaterialsThis interventional study was carried out on newly diagnosed dermatology subjects from September 2012 to February 2014. Within this period, subjects who met the inclusion criteria for the study were recruited into the study by the researchers. The diagnoses of the skin deramtoses were made and some confirmed by histology were necessary.Each of the subjects was administered a self-evaluation structured questionnaire after thorough explanation and consent to participate in the study was obtained. Their psychological morbidity was noted and thirty (30) minutes to Sixty (60) minutes counselling session conducted for each subject. ResultsA total number of 2,340 dermatological patients were seen out of which 930 were newly diagnosed dermatological cases. Two hundred and forty six (246) who met the inclusion criteria for the study were recruited. These comprised 155 (63.0%) females and 91 (37.0%) males. Their age ranges from 15years to 70years with a mean age and standard deviation of 31.6years ± 11.2 respectively. Subjects who were students with higher educational degree suffered more psychological morbidity or distress. However, there was statistically significant reduction on the impact of their psychological morbidity after few sessions of counselling which comprised psychoanalytical psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.In conclusion, there was a significant psychological morbidity among dermatological patients. Imperatively, a well articulated and integrated psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy would be of immense benefits to dermatology patients apart from administration and usage of drugs.