Study Identifies Mental Health Resources for Patients with Dermatologic Conditions

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A recent analysis identified 26 patient advocacy websites which provide resources for mental health and well-being among patients with dermatologic conditions, highlighting support delivery methods which allow for greater sensitivity to related stigma.¹

This analysis was conducted with the aim of pointing out which resource types are currently available for mental health support among individuals with different skin conditions. They also sought to better highlight more inclusive ways to provide such resources.

Tammi Shipowick, of the International Alliance of Dermatology Patient Organizations (GlobalSkin) in Ottawa, led this analysis along with a team of investigators. The team highlighted the fact that the majority of the 6 World Health Organization (WHO) regions have previously been noted for lacking in mental healthcare capacity given the sizes of their countries’ populations.²

“[We] conducted a comprehensive landscape analysis to i) understand whether resources currently exist to support the mental health and well-being of these individuals; and to ii) identify optimal ways to approach the topic of mental health and well-being for people with dermatological conditions that is inclusive and sensitive to all WHO world regions,” Shipowick and colleagues wrote.¹

Study Design

This analysis was headed by the International Alliance of Dermatology Patient Organizations, a nonprofit organization known as GlobalSkin. GlobalSkin maintains a focus on the enhancement of dermatology patients’ lives through the use of research, advocacy, and support.

The group carried out a comprehensive review of various websites, aiming to assess the availability of programs, educational materials, and referral tools that may provide mental health and well-being support for the aforementioned individuals. They sought to find whether currently-available resources meet global patient needs or if the development or adaptation of newer materials may be warranted.

Initially, the research team put together a list of skin health organizations, dermatology patient advocacy groups, and foundations. After they identified each organization, the investigators would assess each website for any available mental health-related content that also touched upon the topic of skin conditions.

The team further looked at these sites’ resources deemed as eligible, which would mean that they would provide information or education on mental health and well-being. Eligible resources would also be those that included self-directed or structured programs for dealing with dermatologic diseases.

For the purposes of enhancing their review of these resources, the investigators used the MEDLINE scientific database to make additional searches for articles published between January 2013 - June 2023. These searches were done with the goal of looking into any randomized controlled trials or observational analyses testing the effectiveness of the resources they had previously identified during the review.

Main Findings

Overall, the investigators identified 26 websites that were shown to provide an array of mental health-related tools and resources. Some examples of resources included programs addressing coping strategies, educational sections regarding mental health, services related to counseling, and peer support forums.

The research team highlighted the fact that digital health tools may be most valuable in regions where privacy is valued more highly or where smartphone use is widespread, such as Europe and Southeast Asia. Alternatively, they reported that in regions such as Africa and rural regions of the Western Pacific, in which there are shortages of mental health professionals, there were other approaches that were deemed to be promising.

These included task-shifting, or training non-health professionals for the purposes of delivering community-based interventions. The investigators noted that this is a more culturally-sensitive adaptation of resource delivery which may allow for more widespread use of mental health support for individuals with skin conditions.

The researchers further noted that clinical trial and observational study evidence they looked into yielded results suggesting that many such resources were efficacious in alleviating key symptoms related to mental health. Despite this finding, the team highlighted the necessity of emphasizing the stigma experienced by patients as well as the varying cultural beliefs held in each country.

“Much work has already been done to develop resources to best support individuals with skin conditions who are experiencing negative impacts on their mental health,” they wrote. “Adaptation of these tools to ensure that they are aligned with the varied needs and cultural diversity of the individuals who are served by GlobalSkin's member organizations…will allow for optimal care of those with skin conditions.”¹

References

1. ^{Shipowick, T., Austin, J., Sudiacal, N., Miller, S., Pereira, J.A. and Bundy, C. (2025), Mental Health and Well-Being Support for Individuals Living With Skin Conditions: A Global Landscape Analysis of Patient Needs and Current Resources. JEADV Clinical Practice. https://doi.org/10.1002/jvc2.606.}
2. ^{World Health Organization, World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for all (Geneva: World Health Organization, 2022. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO).}