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Sleep quality, circadian preferences, and mood among patients with acne vulgaris: a case–control study

  • Psychiatrics • Original Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Poor sleep and mood may be predisposing factors for acne. We aimed to investigate the associations between acne and sleep quality, circadian preferences, and mood.

Methods

This case–control study recruited patients with acne and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We used the Investigator’s Global Assessment to evaluate acne severity and various validated questionnaires to measure sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep apnea, circadian preference, and mood symptoms.

Results

A total of 81 patients with acne (age: 21.6 ± 5.0 years, 52% female) and 76 controls were recruited. Compared to controls, patients had a higher score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (5.2 ± 2.6 vs. 4.1 ± 2.3, p = 0.008) and State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (State: 44.6 ± 9.7 vs. 40.6 ± 6.6, p = 0.003; Trait: 47.9 ± 8.2 vs. 45.3 ± 6.2, p = 0.03), and a lower score on a reduced version of the Morningness and Eveningness Questionnaire (13.9 ± 2.6 vs. 14.7 ± 2.3, p = 0.05) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (7.4 ± 3.4 vs. 8.6 ± 3.6, p = 0.04). Acne severity was associated with sleep quality (β = 0.33), eveningness (β = 0.34), depression (β = 0.66), and anxiety (State: β = 1.73; Trait: β = 1.21), even when adjusted for education level and family history of acne.

Conclusion

Acne is highly associated with poor sleep and mood. Dermatologists are advised to attend closely to the psychological impact of acne. Improvements in sleep and mood may benefit the treatment of acne.

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Data Availability

The data of this study can be requested from the Department of Dermatology, Chengdu Medical College, via the corresponding author.

Data Availability

The data of this study can be requested from the Department of Dermatology, Chengdu Medical College, via the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants for their participation and cooperation.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Medical Research Project of Sichuan Province (No. S20003), the Special Research Fund (No. CYFY2019ZD05), and the Liyan Workshop Medical Beauty Research Center Special Project (20YM001) from the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College. The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Xindu District, No.278, Middle Baoguang Avenue, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

    Jiangting Zhu, Ke Peng, Yunjie Zhang, Xiaohong Bai, Chuanhui Zhong, Junru Ye & Mao Lu

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  1. Jiangting Zhu
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  2. Ke Peng
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  7. Mao Lu
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Correspondence to Mao Lu.

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Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was conducted in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Zhu, J., Peng, K., Zhang, Y. et al. Sleep quality, circadian preferences, and mood among patients with acne vulgaris: a case–control study. Sleep Breath 27, 1997–2003 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-023-02777-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-023-02777-5

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