Skin Deep: The Role of Dermatological Health in Social Anxiety, Body Dysmorphic Concerns and Quality of Life

To determine the social anxiety, body dysmorphic concern and quality of life in adults with or without dermatological problems. The cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2021 to January 2022. The study focused on adults with and without skin problems. We gathered data from 100 patients from dermatological clinics in Lala Musa and Kharian (Punjab, Pakistan). Purposive sampling was used for the patient’s selection and convenient sampling for healthy adults. Data was collected by using a demographic Performa and self-reporting Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS), dysmorphic concern Questionnaire and Dermatology Life Quality Index Scale. Data was analyzed by using SPSS and AMOS 21. Current study involved 200 participants, 123 (61.5%) were women and 77 (38.5%) were men. The findings indicated significant differences in social anxiety levels between adults with dermatological conditions and those without, with means of 34.29 (SD=6.82) and 38.16 (SD=8.35), respectively (t=-13.20, p<0.05). Adults with dermatological issues exhibited higher levels of social anxiety. Furthermore, concerns related to body dysmorphic disorder were significantly more pronounced in individuals with dermatological problems, showing means of 2.25 (SD=2.84) in the healthy group and 9.54 (SD=4.73) in the affected group (t=-3.58, p<0.05). Additionally, the quality of life for dermatological patients was notably lower, with mean differences of 1.99 (SD=3.81) and 15.60 (SD=5.96) (t=-19.22, p<0.05).