Objective:

To examine the association between dermatology-related quality of life and mental health measures such as anxiety, depression, and stress among adults.

Approach:

• Study Design: An online cross-sectional study involving 305 Brazilian adult participants who completed validated assessments of mental health and dermatology-related quality of life.
• Participant Demographics: Participants reported on various factors including BMI, age, sex, antibiotic use, dermatologic and mental health diagnoses, and probiotic intake.
• Primary Analyses: Examined associations between dermatology-related quality of life, mental health measures, and probiotic consumption.

Key Findings:

• Nearly 50% of participants reported dermatologic disorders.
• Over 50% of participants were at risk for at least one mental health condition.
• Dermatology-related quality of life was significantly associated with anxiety, depression, and stress, but these relationships were weak.
• Anxiety, depression, and stress showed strong correlations with each other.
• Female participants had higher scores in anxiety, depression, stress, and dermatology-related quality of life compared to males.
• Only 19% of participants reported consuming probiotics weekly, with no significant associations found between probiotic intake and mental health or dermatology-related quality of life.

Interpretation:

The findings indicate an association between dermatology-related quality of life and psychological distress.

Limitations:

• Cross-sectional design limits conclusions about causality.
• Recruitment through an online convenience sample may affect generalizability.
• Reliance on self-reported measures could introduce bias.
• Low prevalence of probiotic consumption limited the ability to detect associations.

Conclusion:

Further studies are needed to explore the influence of probiotics on the relationship between skin health and mental well-being.

Sources:

• Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology