Eczema not only irritates the child's skin. New research warns that this often disfigured condition may also be related to depression, anxiety and sleep difficulties.
A study of more than 11,000 British children and adolescents found that children with severe eczema are twice as likely to suffer from clinical depression as children without eczema.
"Eczema is an itchy red skin disease," said the author of the study, University of California, San Francisco associate professor of dermatology, Dr. Katrina Abuabara (Katrina Abuabara).
but it is very complicated.
"The course and severity of the disease can vary greatly," Abuabara explained. "It usually appears in early childhood, but can occur at any age. It is often sporadic, with sudden onset and then remission, but these cycles may last for many years.
"For many children, this disease seems to be in They get better when they are teenagers, but we found that some children still have occasional diseases as adults," she added.
have a family history of diseases or related diseases (such as asthma and allergy) People’s risk increases. Abuabara points out that this condition is “very common, affecting up to 20% of children and 10% of adults.”
Among the children she and her colleagues started tracking in 1991, eczema (Also called atopic dermatitis) the annual prevalence ranges from 14% to 19% between 3 and 18 years old.
About 22% to 40% of people have moderate or severe disease The remaining cases are mild.
In addition to being associated with doubling the risk of depression, severe eczema also doubles the risk of depression and/or anxiety-related behaviors, which usually indicate underlying emotional and psychological difficulties. Severe cases also increase.
The author found that children with depression are more likely to be women.And come from a higher social class.
The research team emphasized that mild and moderate eczema has nothing to do with the high risk of childhood depression. But in children as young as 4 years old, even less severe cases of eczema are associated with a 29% to 84% increase in the risk of internalizing behavior.
Abuabara and her colleagues point out that this is worrying because children who suffer from depression and/or brewing emotional turbulence may face a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and poor overall health as adults.
"Many parents of children with eczema will tell you that this can be a seemingly devastating disease," Abbara said.
"For a long time, people have known that eczema can cause sleep disturbances that affect the entire family," she added, "and it will definitely affect emotional health. More and more studies show that certain types of eczema are more than just 'The skin is deep' and can affect overall health in many ways."
In general, "It is well known that skin diseases can affect the quality of life of patients and lead to depression." The head of the department, Dr. Robert Kirsner, agreed.
Kirsner said that children are generally considered to be relatively flexible in this regard, and he is not a member of the research team.
But “understandably, severe eczema, even in children, can cause depression and related internalized symptoms such as low self-esteem, fear, and worry,” he said.
It is worth noting that even "lightly affected patients will obviously be emotionally affected by the disease and may internalize their feelings and show symptoms," Kirsner said.
He added that this suggests that “more active and professional treatment for mild eczema may improve children’s lives and may bring long-term mental health benefits.”
What can parents do?
Abuabara Said that they should strive to get the best care, not only for the eczema itself, but also for the emotional dilemmas that may be triggered.
"If you are worried that your child has eczema,It is important to discuss optimizing their eczema treatment with their doctors and ask about behavioral screening and support through their clinics and/or schools," Abuabara said.
The results of the study were published in the online edition of JAMA Dermatology on September 1
source
Katrina Abuabara, MD, MSCE, Associate Professor of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health
Robert Kirsner, MD, PhD, University of Miami Miller Medicine Chair and Professor of Department of Dermatology and Skin Surgery, University of Miami Hospital and Clinic Wound Center
JAMA Dermatology, September 1, 2021, online
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