A cross-sectional study on the assessment of dermatology life quality index among the adolescents and young adults with acne vulgaris in south Indian population

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common dermatoses involving chronic inflammation of hair follicles and their accompanying sebaceous gland. Depending up on the grade of the disease severity, it might have a psychological impact on any patient. There is a very few studies on the assessment of dermatology life quality index among patients with acne vulgaris in south India. Proper awareness and early intervention regarding the psychiatric sequel of acne can benefit the outcome of patients. Materials and Methods: This is a hospital based prospective cross-sectional questionnaire study done on acne vulgaris patients attending the dermatology outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital in south Kerala. QoL was measured using both acne specific [Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI)] questionnaire and skin disease specific [Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)] questionnaire. Results: Among the patients assessed with DLQI questionnaire, 82.9% had impaired quality of life and 94.3% as assessed with the CADI. The mean CADI score was 5.8 and the mean DLQI score was 6.97. The impact of DLQI was more among adolescent age group than among young adults. Conclusion: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with increased likelihood for psychological burden in society especially among adolescent age group. It is vital for the dermatologist to incorporate quality of life index measurement when treating acne vulgaris patients to provide better emotional care and appropriate counselling. Keyword: Acne, DLQI, QOL.