Skin disease and stigma in emerging adulthood: impact on healthy development.

BACKGROUND

Visible skin disorders can limit healthy psychosocial development in several domains owing to the stigma these disorders create.

OBJECTIVE

To assess if emerging adults with acne and eczema perceive stigma in diverse developmental domains resulting from their visible skin conditions.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 336 emerging adults attending a diverse public university in northern California completed a Web-based survey. Multivariate modeling was used to determine if eczema and acne result in perceived stigma.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) age of respondents was 20.1(1.5) years; most were white (43.2%) and female (62.5%). Almost half (47%) reported acne and 16.4% reported eczema. The likelihood of experiencing perceived stigma was 1.6 (95% CI 1.13-2.27, p < .001) times higher for those with eczema compared to those without eczema, and the likelihood of experiencing perceived stigma was 3.19 (95% CI 2.41-4.22, p < .0001) times higher for those with acne compared to those without acne.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that emerging adults perceive stigma as a result of their acne and eczema in several important developmental domains. The results suggest that acne may have a stronger relationship with perceived stigma than eczema, perhaps owing to its greater visibility on the body. University-based activities are recommended to support those with skin disease.