title: Personality disorders and its association with anxiety and depression among patients of severe acne: A cross-sectional study from Eastern India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In many patients, emotional stress may exacerbate acne. Psychological problems such as social phobias, low self-esteem, or depression may also occur as a result of acne. The presence of acne may have some negative effect on the quality of life, self-esteem, and mood of the affected patients. While some studies have been undertaken about anxiety, depression, and personality patterns in patients with acne, only a few studies have been done to identify specific personality disorders in patients with acne. Furthermore, there is a dearth of data regarding the effect of personality disorder on the psychological states of the patients which prompted us to undertake the present study.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, undertaken in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Eastern India. Consecutive patients suffering from severe (Grade 3 and 4) acne, attending the Dermatology Outpatient Department, aged above 18 years were included to the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 65 patients were evaluated with a mean age of 26 years. Personality disorder was present in 29.2% of patients. The diagnosed personality disorders were obsessive compulsive personality disorder (n= 9, 13.8%), anxious (avoidant) personality disorder (n= 6, 9.2%), and borderline personality disorder (n= 2, 3%), mixed personality disorder (n= 2, 3%). All patients with personality disorder had some psychiatric comorbidity. Patients having personality disorder had higher number of anxiety and depressive disorders which were also statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study highlights that personality disorders and other psychiatric comorbidities are common in the setting of severe acne.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sharmila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Paramita
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patra
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Kakali
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mridha
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, R. G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sudip Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Asish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Rajarshi Guha
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Thakurta
keywords: Anxiety; depression; personality disorders; severe acne