People with acne present suicidal tendencies

• April 19, 2024

The presence of acne is related to the risk of committing suicide . This is confirmed by the conclusions of a study published by the British Medical Journal.

The research found that there is a latent risk that patients suffering from acne tend to commit suicide while in Isotretinoin treatment (drug used in the treatment of severe or cystic acne)

However, Swedish scientists said that the additional risk is more likely due to the same acne than to the drug.

The study points out that the association between acne and suicide attempts have been described previously and some authors have observed that isotretinoin actually leads to an improvement in anxiety and depression . Acne in itself is a serious condition.

For this research the experts monitored data of 5 thousand 756 people, of which 3 thousand 613 were male, with an average age of 22 years, while the average age of female was 27 years.

In the results it was revealed that 128 patients were admitted to the hospital after a suicide attempt .

The greatest risk of committing suicide occurred during the six months after the end of treatment. Experts speculated that it could be because those suffering from acne improved their physical appearance after taking isotretinoin, but they felt anguish at not finding an improvement in their social life.

The authors noted that suicide attempts are uncommon, and suggest monitor the psychiatric status of patients during treatment and for one year after .

To see the original study (in English) click here.

Video Medicine: “I’m losing hope” (acne, depression, suicide) (April 2024).