Improving Psychological Health Outcomes in Children with Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that usually develops in early childhood. AD has a significant impact on quality of life and psychological health outcomes in both adults and children. There are increased reported rates of psychiatric comorbidities including anxiety, depression, ADHD and suicidal ideation compared to the general population. Primary caregivers of children with pediatric eczema and their families may also have derangements in psychological health and quality of life. A number of interventions exist for AD and address wellbeing outcomes as an important aspect of effective treatment. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed/Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in February 2023. Published studies up to April 2023 were included related to interventions for childhood AD that included psychological health or quality of life outcomes. These interventions were stratified according to type and evidence quality. Results: Search strategy revealed a wide variety of interventions with demonstrated improvements in quality of life or wellbeing of patients with pediatric AD or their families. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated effectiveness in improving disease outcomes. Conclusion: A variety of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions may be employed to improve psychological health outcomes in children with AD.