Mental health in patients affected by atopic dermatitis: which effects of treatment with dupilumab?

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease. Patients with AD are prone to develop anxiety and mood disorders. Aim of this study is to investigate if treatment with dupilumab may improve mental health status of patients affected by AD. A total of 66 patients with severe AD were included: 24 subjects were candidate or have just started (one month) treatment with dupilumab, and 42 have been in treatment for one year. 25.8%, 30.3%, and 45.5% of the total sample showed, respectively, clinically significant anxiety, depression, and symptoms of Internet addiction. Patients with anxiety symptoms resulted to have more severe AD, more sleep problems (P = 0.028), less quality of life (P = 0.001), more severe depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), to be more frequently women (P = 0.016), to be less frequently treated with dupilumab for one year (P = 0.025). Similarly, patients with clinically significant depressive symptoms resulted to have more severe AD, more sleep problems (P = 0.003), less quality of life (P < 0.001), more severe anxiety symptoms (P < 0.001), to be less frequently treated with dupilumab for one year (P = 0.008). Patients with AD treated for one year with dupilumab showed a better mental health profile in terms of less severe anxiety and depression with respect to their counterparts.