Acne Vulgaris is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease in approximately 9.4% of the world population. Medical students are exposed to higher levels of stress and have a higher prevalence of acne. However, the risk factors and acne impact on medical students’ mental health remains poorly understood. This literature review aims to: (i) summarize the prevalence and risk factors of acne vulgaris in medical students and (ii) highlight the impact of acne’s psychological consequences in medical students. The researchers conducted a search using MEDLINE and EMBASE in OVID, using variations in the following search terms: acne vulgaris, medical students, self‐esteem, psychology, psychiatry, suicide, suicidal thoughts, self‐harm, positive and negative effects, psychological well‐being, anxiety, and depression.
Studies that stated the prevalence of risk factors of acne vulgaris and examined the association between psychosocial effects and acne vulgaris in medical students were included. Eleven cross‐sectional studies were included. The prevalence of acne vulgaris in medical students ranged from 34.38% to 97.9% across nine studies. A review of these articles revealed that acne prevalence is associated with stress, gender differences, and medical students’ lifestyle factors. Acne had many negative psychological and social impacts on medical students, including negative self‐image, lower confidence, embarrassment, depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, and impaired social behaviors. Further research on the intersection between acne vulgaris and the mental health of medical students is needed.
Rep: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijd.15280
