title: The effect of isotretinoin (roaccutane) therapy on depression and quality of life of patients with severe acne.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acne is the most common skin disease and isotretinoin is the most powerful drug among the various drugs used for its treatment, but it has some adverse effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of isotretinoin on depression and quality of life of a group of patients undergoing isotretinoin therapy before and after the treatment course.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, 98 patients with severe acne were enrolled consecutively and underwent isotretinoin therapy receiving 0.5 mg/kg/d of isotretinoin for 16 weeks. Isotretinoin effects on quality of life and depression were evaluated using Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaires, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, 98 patients suffering from severe acne (38 males and 60 females) were enrolled. Treatment of acne was associated with improvement of quality of life scores in both male and female patients (p = 0.001). Considering the cutoff value of 13 for mild depressive mood in the BDI score, in total, 48 (49%) of the enrolled patients (21 males and 33 females) had a mild depressive mood before the commencement of the treatment in this study. The analysis of before and after treatment BDI scores showed that the number of patients and also the mean score of BDI were increased in both male and female patients after the treatment (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Isotretinoin therapy improved the quality of life of patients suffering from acne, but depression was accentuated in the patients to some extent.
authors: Assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Razi hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Youssef
authors: Y
authors: Fakour
authors: Assistant professor, Department of Dermatology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Razi hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Pedram
authors: P
authors: Noormohammadpour
authors: Department of Biomedical engineering, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Hamed
authors: H
authors: Ameri
authors: Assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Razi hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Amir Houshang
authors: AH
authors: Ehsani
authors: Master of Clinical Psychology, Ministry of Education.
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Mokhtari
authors: Master of Clinical Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University of medical sciences, Imam Hussein Hospital.
authors: Najmeh
authors: N
authors: Khosrovanmehr
authors: Department of Dermatology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Razi hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Seyedeh Zahra
authors: SZ
authors: Hoseini Nezhad
keywords: Depression; Isotretinoin; Quality of Life