Social media negatively impacts mental health of adolescents with acne, atopic dermatitis

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Social media may contribute to the high rates of mental health problems and disorders among adolescents with acne and atopic dermatitis, according to a poster presented at South Beach Symposium.

“The contribution of psychological disorders to the burden of skin disease has been poorly explored, especially in adolescent patients,” Evan A. Rieder, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist and assistant professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote in the poster. “This review aims to provide insights into the psychosocial and social media impact of acne, atopic dermatitis, and aesthetics in adolescent patients.”

In their study, Rieder and colleagues used a modified Delphi technique comprising face-to-face discussions that were followed up online. After creating 14 draft statements that were supported by 122 systematic literature search results, the researchers used this literature evidence, a panel evaluation and plenary discussion to formulate 14 draft statements. These were then narrowed down to five statements that accurately reflected social media’s effect on adolescents with skin conditions.

The statements acknowledged that both AD and acne increase the risk of poor sleep, social impairment and mental health problems, including body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). In fact, these severe body image concerns are significantly associated with inflammatory diseases such as AD and acne, according to the poster. Because adolescents look toward social media for medical information, they are often met with unrealistic expectations that lead to mental health conditions.

Although one of the study statements acknowledged potential benefits of social media usage, such as creating connection and providing access to online body positivity campaigns, the majority of the study statements detailed the negative effect of social media on body image, with a greater use of social media being associated with body dissatisfaction, appearance anxiety, drive for thinness, self-objectification and lower self-esteem. Using lenses or filters when posting photos particularly increased the risk of body image dissatisfaction, concerns with body shape or weight and cosmetic surgery consideration.

Rieder and colleagues encouraged dermatologists to create action-oriented items to address these issues in clinical practice.

“The association with adverse life events, BDD, suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety are thought to be high for adolescents with acne and AD. ... Educating patients and clinicians should be done to increase awareness of the positives and negatives of social media use among adolescents,” the researchers wrote.