NEED FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION IN THE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ACNE: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Background: Chronic diseases are known to have impact on quality of life of patients as of the acne. The DLQI (dermatology life quality index) is a scale to assess quality of life of the patients with skin disease. Objectives: The present study analyses the quality of life patients with acne attending OPD of skin department, SMS hospital. Methods: A questionnaire-based prospective study was conducted among 150 patients with acne referred from department of dermatology, SMS hospital. Results: The mean DLQL score was 7.28, the question about how embarrassed or self-conscious have you been because of skin had highest whereas the question about how much has your skin caused any sexual difficulties? had lowest scores. Conclusion: Acne has moderate effect of quality of life of the patients. There is need for psychological intervention to improve the quality of life of the patients. Keywords:  Acne, dermatology life quality index, quality of life.