D3.295 - Mental health support for atopic dermatitis patients in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Background
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifocal disease and impacts on the economic, social and mental health of the population. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in patients with AD in Kazakhstan. Research has shown that AD is associated with depression, anxiety and social isolation. The research team from the Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology of the Kazakh National Medical University named by S.D. Asfendiyarov wanted to find out what kind of mental health care and support patients with AD receive or do not receive.
Method
We surveyed over 250 people, including patients aged 18 and above (42%) and parents (58%) whose children and adolescents aged 7-17 with AD.
Survey participants were recruited from Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University clinics. (Almaty)
The survey included questions about mental health symptoms and services perceptions of the connection between AD and mental health. A standardized scale called the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was also used to measure anxiety and depression in adult survey respondents.
Results
The team illustrated that patients with AD experience a significant mental health burden that increases with AD severity: 70% of respondents reported that their mental health was impacted by AD during the past year.
84% worsening mental health symptoms during and right before exacerbations. 65% patients with AD have never talked about mental health with their doctors.
Conclusion
This study highlights the mental health impact AD can have on patients. This survey showed that a significant portion of patients are not being asked about or did not speak to their doctors about mental health in Kazakhstan. Furthermore, most patients with AD are not receiving referrals for mental health support.
More research is needed to identify the most effective mental health interventions for patients with AD, as well as current barriers to referring patients to mental healthcare. For example, do specialists need more training on screening for mental health or better screening tools?
