Emotional Resilience Linked to Better Quality of Life for Those with Acne

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Emotional resilience is associated with improvements in skin-related quality of life (SRQL) among individuals with acne, according to recent findings, suggesting further research may be warranted to develop targeted interventions to improve resilience.¹

These findings represent the conclusion of new research conducted to expand upon the notable lack of data regarding emotional resilience and its usefulness among patients who suffer from acne. Caroline J. Stone, a medical student from the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, led a team of investigators in this analysis.

Stone et al. expressed that there is previous data suggesting resilience can promote the maintenance of mental health among populations deemed to be vulnerable or those who are undergoing stressors.²

“This exploratory study aimed to address how emotional resilience, measured using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), correlates with SRQL, measured using the Skindex-16, in patients with acne versus acne-free controls,” Stone and colleagues wrote.¹

Background and Design Details

The investigators used the validate Skindex-16 tool, designed to allow researchers to measure patient-reported outcomes, for the purposes of assessing the ways in which skin conditions can impact patients’ life quality.

They specifically looked at 3 domains of interest: patients’ physical symptoms such as itching and irritation, their emotional responses such as embarrassment, and their functional impacts such as issues with social interactions or work. The research team implemented data that had been drawn from a prior investigation looking at adolescents and young adults, acne, and lifestyle factors.

With an age range between 12 - 24 years, the participants could both have acne or be acne-free. In order to ensure robust analysis, the team only included subjects who had complete datasets. This led to a final sample size of 195 participants, with the investigators highlighting a mean age of 18.7 years among the subjects.

The researchers highlighted the varied educational status of the different participants. They also noted that the subjects were 61.5% female and reported to be 81.5% non-Hispanic White. The investigators found that 39.0% had taken part in either college or a trade school, that 5.6% were pursuing some form of graduate studies, and that 13.8% were not taking part in education any longer.

The researchers highlighted that 29.2% were reported to be in high school and 12.3% in middle school. When looking at employment rates, it was noted that 34.9% were employed part-time, 24.1% were full-time, and 1.0% were reported to be involved in both full-time and part-time employment of some kind.

The research team noted the wide range of acne severity levels among subjects. They slightly modified the available instructions for the Skindex-16, seeking to have patients reflect on their experiences associated with acne and skin health in general. However, the questions featured in the assessment tool remained unaltered.

The team implemented Student's t-tests and chi-squared tests with the aim of evaluating continuous and categorical variables, respectively. A significance level of α < 0.05 was also applied by the investigators.

Findings on Emotional Resilience

The investigative team found that there was an average emotional resilience score of 69.9 ± 14.4 among the study’s participants. When looking at mean scores in the aforementioned Skindex-16’s domains, the team found that they were 35.5 ± 30.5 for patients’ emotions, 18.0 ± 19.0 for their symptoms, and 12.3 ± 19.1 for their general functioning.

A negative correlation was identified in this analysis between emotional resilience and all 3 SRQL domains. The researchers noted that this finding would indicate higher resilience as being linked to quality of life improvement.

Specifically, the research team suggested that correlations for the emotional aspects (ρ = −0.26, P < 0.01), symptoms (ρ = −0.15, P = 0.04), and functioning (ρ = −0.29, P < 0.01) were shown to be statistically significant. In their subgroup analysis, the team demonstrated that emotional resilience had substantial negative correlations with both emotions and functioning in those with acne.

They added that among those in the acne-free control arm, a substantial negative correlation was identified between emotional resilience and symptoms. Such conclusions highlight the interplay between emotional resilience and the effect of skin conditions such as acne on sufferers’ life quality.

“Dermatologists and other healthcare providers should consider ways to enhance resilience to improve outcomes when patients struggle with cosmetic and other problems from acne,” they wrote. “Further research is needed to evaluate the clinical benefits of using the CD-RISC with acne patients and to develop targeted interventions that enhance resilience and SRQL in this population.”¹

References

1. ^{Stone, C.J., Ufkes, N., Secrest, A.M., Murtaugh, M.A., Vanneman, M.E. and Snyder, A.M. (2025), Relationships Between Quality of Life and Emotional Resilience for Those With and Without Acne. J Cosmet Dermatol, 24: e16744. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.16744.}
2. ^{K. M. Connor and J. R. Davidson, “Development of a New Resilience Scale: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC),” Depression and Anxiety 18, no. 2 (2003): 76–82.}