Association between family functioning and self-esteem in acne patients

Objective: Acne is a disease that affects people of all ages both physically and psychologically. Psychological problems related to acne include a decrease in self-esteem, impaired self-image, problematic family relations, depression and anxiety symptoms. The association between acne and psychiatric processes is bidirectional. Psychological distresses can exacerbate acne, and psychiatric disorders can develop secondary to acne vulgaris. The aim of this study is to examine the association between family functioning and self-esteem in acne patients. We also want to compare acne and a healthy group in terms of anxiety, depression, family functioning and self-esteem.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 146 patients with acne vulgaris and 95 persons without acne were evaluated by the Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression Scale, McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.

Results: In concordance with some previous studies, the acne and control groups showed no significant differences in the Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression Scale scores. There were no significant differences between the acne and control groups in terms of self-esteem or family functioning either. Concerning family functioning, general functioning, communication, affective responsiveness, problem solving, and role assignments were found to be significantly associated with the acne patients’ self-esteem. There is a high association between communication, role assignments, and affective responsiveness subscales of the Family Assessment Device and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale scores in the acne group.

Conclusion: These consequences indicate that the psychiatric effects of acne can be associated with healthy family relations, support and response of family and maybe by baseline self-esteem. Effective communication skills, affective responsiveness and role assignments in the family seem to contribute to the sense of positive self-esteem in this group. These findings illustrate the importance of strong family relations in dealing with the acne problem.