Atopic dermatitis mental health risks may be higher in youth
A review of 28 studies found children and teens with atopic dermatitis had higher estimates for depression, anxiety and suicidality.
By Priya Raghavan · Science Reporter
2 min read
Atopic dermatitis mental health risks may be greater for children and adolescents than for adults, according to a review published July 6 in Frontiers in Public Health. The finding matters because the paper points to a heavier psychological burden in younger patients, while also warning that the evidence is uneven across studies.
Hongli Wang of the Beijing Institute of Chinese Medicine and colleagues reviewed research on whether the link between atopic dermatitis and psychological comorbidities changes by age. Their meta-analysis included 28 studies, drawing from cohort, cross-sectional and case-control designs.
The authors analyzed depression, anxiety and suicidality, comparing estimates reported for children and adolescents with those reported for adults. They used random-effects models to combine study results, calculating pooled hazard ratios for cohort and case-control studies and pooled odds ratios for cross-sectional studies.
How does atopic dermatitis affect mental health in children?
The review found higher numerical risk estimates for common psychological problems among younger patients with atopic dermatitis than among adults with the condition. Psychological comorbidities are mental health conditions that occur alongside another illness; in this review, the outcomes included depression, anxiety and suicidality.
For depression, the pooled hazard ratio in cohort studies was 2.16 for children and adolescents, compared with 1.32 for adults, according to Wang and colleagues. In cross-sectional studies, the pooled odds ratio for depression was 2.79 in youth and 1.61 in adults.
The researchers reported a similar age pattern for anxiety. They also found that suicide risk was higher in younger patients with atopic dermatitis than in adults, though the summary did not provide a specific pooled estimate for that outcome.
Why did the authors urge caution?
The authors said the results should be read carefully because the studies varied substantially. That heterogeneity limits how certain researchers can be that age alone explains the differences in estimated mental health burden.
Wang and colleagues wrote that children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis may have a higher risk of depression and anxiety than adults with the condition, but they stressed that the conclusion is not firm because of the variation across the included research.
The study does not establish a single clinical rule for screening or treatment. It does, however, add evidence that mental health concerns are part of the disease burden for younger people with atopic dermatitis, according to the authors’ analysis.
The review, titled “Age differences in psychological comorbidity in atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” was published in Frontiers in Public Health.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.