Mental health x Acne feat. Professor Danielle Samuels, PhD

We caught up with professor Danielle Samuels to discuss a key focus of her research on adolescence – the connection between acne and mental health.

Acne is frequently thought of as a cosmetic disease and can sometimes be “dismissed” as a condition that’s relatively benign or non-urgent, even by the medical community. Of course, for those of us who have suffered the pain of dealing with breakouts, we know that this is oftentimes not the case.

Professor Samuels weighs in with hard evidence and data, covering several topics which are summarized below:

1. The psychological distress associated with adult acne

Surprisingly, data shows that adults with acne feel even MORE distress than adolescents! (1) Since acne is thought of as an adolescent disease with over 85% of teenagers experiencing the condition at some point, having acne as an adult can feel even more isolating.

2. How university students view acne and self-image

In her class of ~300 students each semester, Professor Samuels asks them about their acne and their experience. Many students when surveyed say they would not come to class or miss daily activities if they woke up with a face full of breakouts.

3. Why acne is often dismissed by medical professionals

Oftentimes, acne is seen as non-urgent by the medical community as theoretically, the condition can just be perceived as having inconvenient spots on one’s face. However, given that acne heavily occurs on the face and the face is a body part we often cannot hide, it can be an extremely psychologically distressing condition especially in an age where image is so prevalent.

4. Why having treatment access is important for acne – Accutane and mental health

One of the most important steps for individuals is giving them access to effective treatments if they wish to treat it – Accutane being one of them. In the United States, Accutane does sometimes get a controversial reputation for an association with depression.

However, multiple studies have not found a definitive link between depression and Isotretinoin-use, with some studies showing the opposite effect (2) – patients reporting improved mood symptoms after acne is cleared by something like Accutane.

Of course, it is always important to monitor for any mood changes while on Accutane treatment and report any fluctuations to your doctor. Through Clear Health, we implement PHQ-9 Quick Depression Assessments during every encounter, tracking these scores over time for the patient’s assigned doctor to keep a pulse on how mood might be impacted during treatment.

Acne is an extremely personal condition, and how distressing it can be ranges from person to person. Effective treatments are available, and our mission at Clear Health is to increase access to these solutions for those who wish to get clear.