Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common form of eczema and has a significant, multidimensional burden of disease. Patients with AD have an increased likelihood of developing depression and anxiety, which is exacerbated when additional atopic comorbidities are present. Little is known about the patient experience with discussing or addressing mental health concerns with their allergist.
Methods
Adult AD patients (18+ years) or caregivers of pediatric AD patients (8-17 years) were recruited to complete an online survey October through November 2022.
Results
Of 954 people who met inclusion criteria and completed the survey, 23.5% (n=224) were seeing an allergist as part of their eczema care team. For 124 (96 adults and 28 caregivers), their allergist was their/their child’s primary eczema provider. Most patients reported current AD severity as mild (36.3%) and 72.6% reported poor mental health symptoms for 1-10 days within the past month, while 17.7% reported more than 11 days. One third (35.4%) said they had never brought up mental health with their allergist, and 57.2% said they had never been asked about it. Only 45.1% of respondents said their allergist had referred them to mental health services or resources.
Conclusion
Allergists often see AD patients with multiple atopic comorbidities, who may face a higher burden of mental health concerns. There remain opportunities to evolve the standard of care for diagnosis and discussion around mental health for AD patients within the allergy care setting.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S108112062300889X
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