The Relationship Between Acne Vulgaris and Depression: A Literature Review

Nafila Rani; Nurelly Noro  Waspodo; Kristian  Liaury

doi:10.71435/742808

Authors

Nafila Rani Medical Student, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muslim Indonesia
Nurelly Noro Waspodo Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muslim Indonesia
Kristian Liaury Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muslim Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71435/742808

Keywords:

Acne Vulgaris, Depression, Genetics

Abstract

Acne problems are estimated to affect 9.4% of the global population, which makes it one of the top 8 most common diseases. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, acne vulgaris affects 85% of young adults aged 12–25 years. This disease causes depression. It is estimated that the factors that contribute to the increase in acne vulgaris include genetics, hormones, environment and work. Depression can occur in all individuals, regardless of gender, age and background. Depression is very common and it is estimated that nearly 121 million people suffer from this disorder worldwide. The aim of this literature review is to determine the relationship between acne vulgaris and depression. Using the research method used in this research is Literature Review or literature review. The selected articles are those that meet the inclusion criteria, namely the period of publication of journals, books and articles on web pages with a study publication time span of the last 5 years (2019-2024) totaling 10 research articles, by searching the internet by accessing things like Google Scholar, Pubmed, ScienceDirect and BMC. The results of the study showed that from 10 journals, acne vulgaris is associated with depression, acne vulgaris can also occur at any age and has been shown to have a significant emotional impact on individuals, such as shame and low self-esteem associated with the appearance of skin and acne scars. This low self-confidence can be linked to depression.

References

Abdulrazak, I. N. (2026). Beyond The Shadows:: Understanding, Living With, and Overcoming Depression. neobooks.

Afnanita, S., & Mardalena, E. (2023). Faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi timbulnya acne vulgaris pada remaja remaja santri pesantren Babun Najah. Jurnal Kesehatan Tambusai, 4(3), 3144-3151.

Almutawa, Y. M., Bhattarai, E., AlGhareeb, M., & Zhao, J. (2023). Evaluation of psychiatric comorbidities and quality of life as well as brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations among patients suffering from acne vulgaris: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cureus, 15(1).

Argente, J., Dunkel, L., Kaiser, U. B., Latronico, A. C., Lomniczi, A., Soriano-Guillén, L., & Tena-Sempere, M. (2023). Molecular basis of normal and pathological puberty: from basic mechanisms to clinical implications. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 11(3), 203-216.

Asad, F., Qadir, A. & Luqman Ahmed, M. Anxiety and depression in patients with acne vulgaris. J. Pakistan Assoc. Dermatologists 12, 69–72 (2002).

Baskaran, N., Arunima, A., Shah, S., Narang, T., & Kumaran, M. S. (2025). Psychological morbidity in chronic dermatological disorders: a review. Indian Dermatology Online Journal, 16(3), 381.

Bayliss, O. A. (2025). Disorientalism: the counternarratives of Jim Crace (Doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham).

Calcaterra, V., Rossi, V., Massini, G., Regalbuto, C., Hruby, C., Panelli, S., ... & Zuccotti, G. (2022). Precocious puberty and microbiota: The role of the sex hormone–gut microbiome axis. Frontiers in endocrinology, 13, 1000919. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.1000919

Chintya, S. A., Khomastin, S., & Farida, L. (2022). Pengaruh Tingkat Kecemasan Sosial, Depresi Dan Kualitass Hidup Terhadap Acne Vulgaris. ULIL ALBAB: Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin, 1(6), 1457-1463.

Christensen, R. E., & Jafferany, M. (2023). Psychiatric and psychologic aspects of chronic skin diseases. Clinics in dermatology, 41(1), 75-81.

El Kazzi, T., Shahine, M., & Salameh, P. (2025). Effect of severity of acne on the mental health of Lebanese patients with acne: findings from an online survey. BMC psychology, 13(1), 502.

Fuqua, J. S., & Eugster, E. A. (2022). History of puberty: normal and precocious. Hormone research in paediatrics, 95(6), 568-578. https://doi.org/10.1159/000526464

Hammill, C., & Vaillancourt, T. (2023). Acne and its association with internalizing problems. Dermatological Reviews, 4(5), 228-238. https://doi.org/10.1002/der2.181

Ilham, F. F. (2024). Pengaruh Media Sosial Terhadap Body Image Pada Perempuan Dewasa Awal Di Kelurahan Bukit Indah Kota Parepare (Doctoral dissertation, IAIN Parepare).

Kristanti, A. J., & Savira, S. I. (2021). Gambaran Citra Tubuh Pada Wanita Dewasa Awal Yang Mengalami Acne Vulgaris. Character Jurnal Penelitian Psikologi, 8(3), 12-23. https://doi.org/10.26740/cjpp.v8i3.41161

Lakum, M. (2024). The hidden struggle: Understanding the psychosocial impact of dermatological diseases. Indian Journal of Postgraduate Dermatology, 2(2), 74-79.

Mehmood, M., Ishaque, A., Himani, G., Yameen, S., Fatima, A., Shahzad, F., & Jiwani, U. (2022). Scars on Body are the Scars on Mind-Anxiety, Depression and Low Self-Esteem in Acne Vulgaris Patients. Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry, 11(4), 75-81. https://doi.org/10.36283/PJMD11-4/012

Meliala, A. A., & Lubis, R. A. S. (2020). Hubungan akne vulgaris dengan gejala ansietas pada mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara. Jurnal pandu husada, 1(2), 101-106. https://doi.org/10.30596/jph.v1i2.4604.g4125

Molla, A., Alrizqi, H., Alharbi, E., Alsubhi, A., Alrizqi, S., & Shahada, O. (2021). Assessment of anxiety and depression in patients with acne vulgaris in medina: A case-control study. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 999-1007.

Morshed, A. S. M., Noor, T., Uddin Ahmed, M. A., Mili, F. S., Ikram, S., Rahman, M., ... & Uddin, M. B. (2023). Understanding the impact of acne vulgaris and associated psychological distress on self-esteem and quality of life via regression modeling with CADI, DLQI, and WHOQoL. Scientific reports, 13(1), 21084. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48182-6

Niknezhad, N., Hamedani, B., Zamanian, A., Robati, R. M., & Hamedani, E. (2020). Frequency of depression in patients with acne vulgaris treated with short-course low dose oral isotretinoin. Iranian Journal of Dermatology, 23(4), 150-154. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijd.2020.120834

Öztekin, C., & Öztekin, A. (2020). The association of depression, loneliness and internet addiction levels in patients with acne vulgaris. BioPsychoSocial medicine, 14(1), 17.

Putri, A., Fitri, E. W., & Elmiyati, E. (2024). HUBUNGAN MEMBERSIHKAN WAJAH DENGAN AKNE VULGARIS PADA MAHASISWA FAKULTAS KEDOKTERAN UNIVERSITAS ABULYATAMA. Jurnal Ilmu Kedokteran dan Kesehatan, 11(4), 749-755. https://doi.org/10.33024/jikk.v11i4.11188

Rafiq, Z., & Mehdi, S. M. (2020). Frequency of depression, anxiety and stress in patients with acne vulgaris. Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists, 30(4), 598-603. https://doi.org/10.66344/jpad.v30i4.1511

Rozaini, N. A. B. (2025). Decolonising psychopathology: interrogating culture-bound syndromes and the Southeast Asian voice in The Koro Riots and The Amok Of Mat Solo (Doctoral dissertation, Nayang Technology University).

Saba Ghayas, S. M., Adil, A., & Yousaf, A. (2022). Self esteem as a predictor of quality of life, depression and anxiety among patients with acne vulgaris. J. Pak. Assoc. Dermatol, 32, 382-387. https://doi.org/10.66344/jpad.v32i2.1693

Sieradocha, K. (2024). The mental health implications of Acne Vulgaris. Quality in sport, 35, 56063-56063.

Sifatullah, N. U. R., & Zulkarnain, Z. (2021, November). Jerawat (Acne vulgaris): Review penyakit infeksi pada kulit. In Prosiding Seminar Nasional Biologi (Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 19-23).

Singh, I. P., & Masih, A. (2023). Depression among Adolescents with Acne Vulgaris: A Cross-Sectional Assessment. Journal of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, 27(1), 20-24.

Sood, S., Jafferany, M., & Vinaya Kumar, S. (2020). Depression, psychiatric comorbidities, and psychosocial implications associated with acne vulgaris. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 19(12), 3177-3182. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.13753

Suhartomi, S., Panjaitan, J. S. G., Syarifah, S., & Marpaung, O. P. E. (2024). Systematic Review: Pengaruh Penggunaan Kosmetik Terhadap Kejadian Acne vulgaris. Nommensen Journal of Medicine, 10(1), 21-32. https://doi.org/10.36655/njm.v10i1.1609

Szepietowska, M., Stefaniak, A. A., Krajewski, P. K., & Matusiak, L. (2023). Females may have less severe acne, but they suffer more: a prospective cross-sectional study on psychosocial consequences in 104 consecutive polish acne patients. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13010004

Tasneem, T., Begum, A., Chowdhury, M. R. K., Rahman, S., Macassa, G., Manzoor, J., & Rashid, M. (2023). Effects of acne severity and acne-related quality of life on depressive symptoms among adolescents and young adults: a cross-sectional study in Bangladesh. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1153101.

Yusuf H, M. (2021). Gambaran Derajat Depresi di Kalangan Pasien Akne Vulgaris Pada Mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Hasanuddin Angkatan 2018 (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Hasanuddin).

Zhang, H., & Zhang, Z. (2023). Genetic variants associated with acne vulgaris. International journal of general medicine, 3843-3856. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S421835