Psychosocial impact and personality predictors of coherence feeling among girls with acne

Abstract

Objective: The extent to which acne influences the emotional life of adolescents is a matter of discussion; but people with acne are prone to emotional and psychological disturbances.Methods: 54 adolescent girls with acne were studied for their personality variables that are related to high coherence. Sence of coherence, e.g. meaningfulness of life, is crucial to copesuccessfully with stressors of living: it expresses the belief that a high probability exists that things will work out as well as can reasonably be expected. 58 adolescent girls without acne were in the control group.Results: Neuroticism (anxiety level) was the first predictor of the sense of coherence measure for girls with acne, explaining 19% of the variance. Extraversion was the next predictor, explaining an additional 23% of the variance, and psychoticism was the third predictor, explaining together 27% of the variance. There was a lack of difference between groups with respect to other personality variables.Conclusion: These predictors have to be taken into consideration while treating adolescents acne. Dermatologists, pediatricians and other physicians treating adolescents’ acne should be familiar with emotional and psychosocial disturbances that accompany acne in order to effectively assist these patients.