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Psychodermatologic pathology in adolescents: findings from the Colombian National Mental Health Survey

  • Laura Andrea Gómez García , Arturo Marroquín Rivera EMAIL logo , Carlos Javier Rincón Rodríguez , Isabel Cristina Cuellar and Carlos Gómez-Restrepo
Published/Copyright: October 22, 2020
International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health
From the journal International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health Volume 34 Issue 6

Abstract

Background

Associations between mental health and dermatology have generated a new branch of study called psychodermatology, which includes relevant conditions to the adolescent population. However, there is limited research focusing on this field and this specific population.

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of dermatological pathologies in the Colombian adolescent population and their possible associations with mental health conditions.

Methods

We performed a secondary analysis of the Colombian National Mental Health Survey results. A representative sample of the adolescent Colombian population answered questions regarding dermatological conditions and mental health disorders. We estimated the prevalence and evaluated associations using the chi squared independence test.

Results

Of 1753 adolescents, 8.3% (CI95%=[6.8–10.1]) had dermatitis or skin allergies and 4.5% (CI95%=[3.3–6.1]) acne. For dermatitis, we found associations with age, education, and family dysfunction (p-Values=0.024; <0.001; 0.046 respectively). Acne was associated with age, sex, educational level, the number of social groups involved in, alcohol consumption, psychoactive substances use and previous violent experiences (respective p-Values=0.007; 0.004; 0.005; 0.036; 0.002; 0.003; 0.044). Regarding mental health, dermatological conditions were associated with depression, affective disorders, suicide attempt and suicide ideation.

Conclusion

Our results are the first to describe the prevalence of these disorders in Colombia. This is an exploratory study; nonetheless, it is of great value since it is the first to describe these associations in adolescents in a middle-income country, which should be considered during clinical examinations. Further longitudinal studies evaluating possible causal relationship between psychiatric and dermatological conditions are fundamental to establish causal links.

Keywords: acne vulgaris; adolescent psychiatry; dermatitis; dermatology; mental health
Corresponding author: Arturo Marroquín Rivera, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Kra.7 N.40 – 62 2nd Floor, Bogotá, 110231, Colombia, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection for allowing the use of the database of the National Mental Health Survey

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

  4. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.

  5. Ethical approval: The local Institutional Review Board deemed the study exempt from review.

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Received: 2020-07-06
Accepted: 2020-09-13
Published Online: 2020-10-22

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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  15. Association between sitting posture on school furniture and spinal changes in adolescents
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https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2020-0175
Keywords for this article
acne vulgaris; adolescent psychiatry; dermatitis; dermatology; mental health

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Reviews
  3. Pooled prevalence estimates of malocclusion among Indian children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  4. Nutrition knowledge and its relation with dietary behaviour in children and adolescents: a systematic review
  5. Original Articles
  6. Water polo-related injuries among adolescents and young adults treated at emergency departments
  7. Service evaluation and retrospective audit of electronic HEEADSSS (e-HEEADSSS) screening device in paediatric inpatient service in Western Australia
  8. Association between intelligent quotient and oral health conditions among 13–15 year old intellectually disabled children
  9. To be or not to be in the social media arena? The perspective of healthcare providers working within adolescent and young adult oncology in Switzerland
  10. Human papillomavirus vaccine series follow-through: comparison of four clinics in an academic medical center
  11. Oral health knowledge, attitude and practice among adolescents in Kuwait
  12. Identifying challenges in promoting adolescent preventive health care in the primary care setting of urban Japan
  13. Health profile with body mass index and physical fitness in Swedish adolescents: a cross-sectional study
  14. Psychodermatologic pathology in adolescents: findings from the Colombian National Mental Health Survey
  15. Association between sitting posture on school furniture and spinal changes in adolescents
  16. Influence of dietary and activity patterns on weight status of Ukrainian school aged children
  17. A national guideline for youth-friendly health services developed by chronically ill young people and health care professionals – a Delphi study
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