Psychological Stress, Resilience, and Social Support in Patients With Allergic Contact Dermatitis.

Background

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition with a substantial impact on daily functioning. Although psychosocial factors such as stress, resilience, and social support influence disease burden in other inflammatory dermatoses, their role in ACD remains poorly defined.

Objective

To compare perceived stress, resilience, and perceived social support between patients with clinically confirmed ACD and matched healthy controls and to examine their associations with key clinical variables.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional case-control study involving 225 adults with exclusive ACD, diagnosed through clinically relevant patch testing, and 225 matched controls without dermatologic disease. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Clinical severity, chronicity, and occupational exposure were also recorded. Group comparisons and multivariable linear regressions were performed.

Results

Patients with ACD reported significantly higher perceived stress (41.0 ± 7.1 vs 36.0 ± 6.7; P < 0.001) and markedly lower resilience (61.8 ± 17.3 vs 79.0 ± 3.1; P < 0.001) compared to the control group. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in perceived social support between groups (P = 0.11).

Conclusion

ACD is associated with substantial psychological vulnerability characterized by elevated stress and reduced resilience. Integrating psychosocial screening into routine management may improve clinical outcomes and patient care.