The world has developed an ideology for the appearance of skin which favors and celebrates smooth, flawless skin. Acne, a collection of pimples, cysts, and often scars, are considered flaws. People who chronically struggle with acne can feel insecure, self-conscious, and like they are not acceptable by society’s standards. Feeling as though they will never achieve that smooth, flawless, welcomed appearance, their self esteem can greatly struggle. New York Daily News reports on a new study published in The British Journal of Dermatology from the UK which found that people who live with acne are at a higher risk for depression.
The study used The Health Improvement Network for data. Using information between the years 1986-2012, the study evaluated the correlation between depression and acne. For people with acne, their risk for depression was 63% higher in the first year acne appears on the skin, according to the article. Interestingly, the research revealed that the depression was not permanent. Patients with acne only demonstrated symptoms of depression for five years after their acne originally started, the article reports.
Severe acne is considered a skin disease. This study highlights the fact that there is a relationship between skin diseases and mental health. It is probable that people with acne likely suffer anxiety and some symptoms of trauma. Since acne is considered ‘bad’ and ‘different’ it is common for people with acne to be bullied for their skin condition. Already feeling less-than compared to their peers, or frustrated because their peers feel that way, bullying can be traumatizing. Bullying can be both an external and an internal narrative. If someone with acne is hard on themselves, then is bullied in kind by others, the results can be traumatizing.
Why it Matters
Trauma can be defined as any event or series events that changes the way a person sees themselves and their place in the world. Understanding how mental illness is experienced by different people requires understanding the various ways people experience life. Living with chronic acne is one of the many ways people experience life. If acne significantly impacts or changes the way an individual sees themselves and their place in the world, then their experience of acne is in fact traumatizing. Trauma can lead to the development of mental health disorders like depression. Doctors should practice a wider awareness to the varying mental health symptoms displayed by their patients, regardless of seemingly ‘normal’ circumstances.
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