Treatment Seeking in Young Women with Acne

Background: It is important that acne sufferers seek medical treatment to alleviate physical and possible psychological effects as early as possible. Treatment seeking behaviour amongst acne sufferers, however, is poorly understood. Objectives: To examine which type of personality variables can predict those who will seek medical treatment. To also examine what type of help seeking is associated with better acne related quality of life. Methods: Participants were 165 female students from an Australian University (82.5% response rate) aged between 17 and 28 years. All participants had their acne objectively rated as well as provided their own subjective rating. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Acne Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (Acne QoL), The Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and The Dysmorphic Concerns Questionnaire (DCQ) were used to assess participants’ general psychopathology, acne related quality of life, type and level of perfectionism and dysmorphic concerns, respectively. Results: Binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that a greater level of objective rated acne severity was associated with seeking treatment from non-medical help (p < 0.05). ANOVAs revealed (p < 0.01) that those participants seeking treatment from nonmedical professionals had less psychopathology, greater acne severity and a high level of socially prescribed perfectionism and dysmorphic concerns. Furthermore, ANOVA revealed that those participants who were currently seeking help from a medical professional had a greater acne quality of life (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Those young women experiencing more severe acne severity seek help from non-physicians. Less distress due to acne is associated with seeking medical help.