Atopic dermatitis (AD)is a chronic disease with profound mental health consequences, according to Jennifer LeBovidge, PhD, attending psychologist in the division of immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of psychology in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In a recent interview with Patient Care,© LeBovidge explained that children and adolescents with the condition are at a 5-fold greater risk of depression and anxiety than their peers without AD, due to drains on mental health exerted by persistent itch, sleep disturbances, social stigma, and the unpredictable nature of flare-ups.
She also discussed the complex interplay of physical and emotional factors, explaining that the stress of managing AD is compounded by biological and psychosocial factors that can worsen both…