Quality of Life in Young Adults With Acne.

Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris is highly prevalent among young adults and is associated with psychosocial distress, yet the relationship between clinical severity and quality of life (QoL) in this population remains incompletely understood.

Objective: To evaluate changes in acne severity and dermatology-related QoL among young adults aged 18 to 22 years and to explore whether improvement in clinical grading corresponds with changes in patient-reported outcomes.

Methods: A pre-post observational study was conducted with 16 participants. At baseline (Week 0) and after 8 weeks of treatment, acne severity was assessed using the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), and QoL was measured with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Descriptive statistics summarized demographic characteristics. Paired t-tests compared pre- and post-treatment scores, and correlation analysis examined the relationship between changes in GAGS and DLQI.

Results: Both acne severity and dermatology-related QoL significantly improved over the 8-week treatment period; however, changes in GAGS scores were not significantly correlated with changes in DLQI scores, indicating that perceived QoL improvement did not directly mirror clinical acne improvement.

Conclusion: Among young adults with acne, meaningful improvements in both clinical severity and QoL were observed following routine treatment. The lack of correlation between these changes suggests that QoL might be influenced by factors beyond visible lesion reduction, underscoring the importance of incorporating patient-reported outcomes into acne management.