• Danielle V Samuels, Robert Rosenthal, Rick Lin, Soham Chaudhari, and Misaki N Natsuaki.
• Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. Electronic address: dvsamuels@umass.edu.
• J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2020 Aug 1; 83 (2): 532-541.

BackgroundSeveral studies have shown an association of acne vulgaris with depression and anxiety, but a quantitative review has not yet been conducted.ObjectiveWe sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis that elucidates the association of acne vulgaris with depression and anxiety.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis of literature published before October 1, 2019 from the PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases was conducted. We used a metaanalytic approach to perform a random effects analysis comparing individuals with and without acne. Subgroup analyses between studies included age, study setting, and geographic region.ResultsForty-two studies were included. We found a significant association of acne vulgaris with depression (r = 0.22 [95% confidence interval 0.17-0.26, P < .00001]) and anxiety (r = 0.25 [95% confidence interval 0.19-0.31, P < .00001]). Subgroup analyses and comparisons showed moderating influences based on factors including age, study setting, and geographic region.LimitationsInconsistency between publications regarding acne and outcome ascertainment, data reporting, and studies with no control group posed considerable barriers to synthesizing all available published literature.ConclusionsBecause of an increased risk for depression and anxiety, clinicians should pursue aggressive treatment of acne and consider psychiatric screening or referrals.Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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