# Psychological Distress and Quality of Life in a Community-Based Sample of Adults with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

## TL;DR

Adults with atopic dermatitis experience high psychological distress and poor quality of life, suggesting the need for integrated care that addresses both physical and mental health.

## Contribution

The study identifies modifiable factors like stress and inadequate sleep as key contributors to poor quality of life in adults with atopic dermatitis.

## Key findings

- Anxiety and depression were significantly negatively correlated with all quality-of-life dimensions in adults with atopic dermatitis.
- Inadequate sleep was associated with lower environmental quality of life, while frequent AD flares correlated with reduced psychological quality of life.
- Self-reported stress and depression were independently linked to poorer self-perceived quality of life.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
People with atopic dermatitis are experiencing physical and psychological distress.Strategies should be developed to tackle not only physical burden but also psychological distress.

People with atopic dermatitis are experiencing physical and psychological distress.

Strategies should be developed to tackle not only physical burden but also psychological distress.

What are the implications of the main findings?
The strong negative associations between psychological distress and all quality-of-life domains highlight the need for integrated care.Our finding that inadequate sleep is significantly associated with lower environmental QoL suggests that addressing sleep disturbances could be a specific, modifiable target for improving well-being in this population.

The strong negative associations between psychological distress and all quality-of-life domains highlight the need for integrated care.

Our finding that inadequate sleep is significantly associated with lower environmental QoL suggests that addressing sleep disturbances could be a specific, modifiable target for improving well-being in this population.

Background/Objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition associated with psychological distress and reduced quality of life (QoL). The complex interrelationships among anxiety, depression, and multidimensional QoL in adults with AD remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine these relationships and key factors linking psychological distress and QoL in this population. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 47 adult participants with AD completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify associations and correlates among anxiety, depression, and QoL domains. Results: Participants demonstrated elevated anxiety (mean score: 7.91 ± 3.27) and depression (mean score: 6.28 ± 3.62) scores, with moderate-to-poor QoL reported across all domains. Both anxiety and depression were significantly negatively correlated with all QoL dimensions (p < 0.05). Higher depression and self-reported stress were independently associated with poorer self-perceived QoL (p < 0.001). Self-reported inadequate sleep was associated with lower environmental QoL (p = 0.006), while more self-reported frequent AD flares correlated with reduced psychological QoL (p = 0.007). Conclusions: This study highlights the substantial psychological burden and impaired QoL experienced by adults with AD. Self-reported stress and inadequate sleep were commonly cited as modifiable factors associated with poorer outcomes, alongside elevated depression scores. An integrated care approach addressing both physical and psychological factors is recommended to improve overall outcomes in this population. Future research should prioritize longitudinal designs and AD-specific assessments to further elucidate causal pathways and inform targeted interventions.