According to experts, those who have eczema may experience mental health problems as a result of their skin condition’s persistent itching. Atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, affects up to 3% of adults worldwide.
According to researchers, eczema’s constant itching and visual effects can be detrimental to a person’s mental and general well-being.
According to their findings, 17% of eczema sufferers experience symptoms for more than 11 days per month, and 72% of those with eczema report experiencing negative mental health symptoms for one to ten days per month.
This link is confirmed by the study, which also contributes to previous research by assessing the frequency of discussion of these mental health issues in atopic dermatitis treatment settings.
Adults with eczema are more likely to receive new diagnoses for anxiety and depression, and the severity of their dermatitis is correlated with depression.
Compared to those without atopic dermatitis, a notably greater proportion of those with the disorder reported having depression.
Given that itching is sent via the same nerve fiber as pain, it can cause significant disruption to a patient suffering from a skin condition, such as atopic dermatitis, both during the day and at night, the doctor added. It can interfere with sleep because itching is frequently stronger at night. A person who gets little sleep may find it harder to control their emotions, which could make them more susceptible to depression. Depression is also linked to sleep issues, such as a reduction in the quantity of healing slow-wave sleep a person receives each night.
Finally, this research highlights the vicious cycle that atopic dermatitis patients experience: “Since stress is a common trigger for flare-ups of the condition, the more anxiety they may experience, the worse their condition may be.”