Perspective on Living With a Skin Condition and its Psychological Impact: A Survey

Abstract

Background Chronic skin conditions can have a profound impact on people's lives, both physically and psychologically, and may predispose to mental health disorders. Providing sufferers with appropriate psychological support is important. Objective In this study, we captured the views of people suffering from a chronic skin condition who were attending the "Skin Matters" conference, held on 20 May 2017, in London. Methods: Delegates were provided with a 5-point questionnaire to complete. Questions related to the impact of their chronic skin condition on their life, the nature of any psychological support they had found helpful and whether they felt they could benefit from greater support in managing their condition. Results 59% of the delegates completed the questionnaire. The survey results showed that skin conditions can have an impact of many areas of daily living as well as on mental well-being. The most popular source of psychological support was the Internet. The majority of survey participants felt they would benefit from increased psychological support in managing their condition. Conclusions In the United Kingdom, there is a need to improve the availability of resources for people/patients with skin conditions in order to provide better support.