Psychological Stress and Atopic Dermatitis Severity Following the Covid-19 Pandemic and an Earthquake

Lugović-Mihić, Liborija; Meštrović-Štefekov, Jelena; Pondeljak, Nives; Dasović, Marina; Tomljenović-Veselski, Mirna; Cvitanović, Hrvoje

doi:10.24869/psyd.2021.393

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Another study, conducted on members of the Facebook group dedicated to pandemics in Croatia, reported that the subjects who also experienced the earthquakes showed a higher degree of anxiety and stress, although no depression, than other respondents [ 25 ]. Likewise, among patients with atopic dermatitis, those exposed to both disasters, had greater levels of perceived stress compared to participants who experienced only pandemics [ 23 ]. Those findings collectively suggest that earthquake represented additional burden to the non-clinical population in the affected region, as reflected in elevated levels of stress-related symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several studies in Croatia addressed the impact of both disasters, by comparing their effects between exposed and non-exposed groups. While three studies reported increased psychological damage in non-clinical populations exposed to both disasters compared to people who experienced only pandemic [ 23 – 25 ], and one did not [ 26 ], there is no data on the impact of those two disasters on psychiatric patients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Depression and stress levels in patients with different psychiatric disorders during concurrent early-phase COVID-19 pandemic and earthquake in Croatia

Šagud,

Janović,

Ćusa

et al. 2023

BMC Psychiatry

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Background While Croatia shared COVID-19 pandemic with other countries, its capital area was also hit by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. The simultaneous impact of these two disasters on psychiatric patients is largely unknown, and we addressed those knowledge gaps. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted during the pandemic’s first peak, in the aftermath of earthquake, by telephonic survey. Measurements included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Perceived Stress Scale and the semi-structured interview to evaluate the impact of pandemic stress and earthquake. Overall 396 patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders (DAD), 229 participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and 205 healthy controls were enrolled. Results Both patient groups had higher depression and stress levels than controls, independent of sex, age and the presence of somatic comorbidity. After controlling for the same covariates, patient groups had higher COVID-19- and earthquake-related fears than controls. In patients with DAD, both fears were greater than among SSD patients. When comparing the two fears, the fear from earthquake was higher in DAD and control groups, whereas in SSD patients there was no such difference. Conclusions Patients with DAD were the most vulnerable group during disasters, while earthquake seems to be associated with more fear than the pandemics, at least in DAD patients and healthy individuals. Future longitudinal studies should determine if early psychological support might alleviate stress levels after disasters and prevent further worsening of mental health, particularly among DAD patients.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depression and stress levels in patients with different psychiatric disorders during concurrent early-phase COVID-19 pandemic and earthquake in Croatia

Šagud,

Janović,

Ćusa

et al. 2023

BMC Psychiatry

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“…12 Moreover, psychological stress can worsen their skin diseases. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Thus, the vicious cycle of inflammatory skin diseases and psychological stress makes the treatment of skin diseases more complex and negatively affects patients' QoL and mental health. In order to break and prevent this vicious cycle, it is of prime importance to understand its underlying neurobiological mechanisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, patients suffering from diseases such as acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis have higher rates of anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and suicidal ideation than the general population 12 . Moreover, psychological stress can worsen their skin diseases 13–19 . Thus, the vicious cycle of inflammatory skin diseases and psychological stress makes the treatment of skin diseases more complex and negatively affects patients' QoL and mental health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mind–skin connection: A narrative review exploring the link between inflammatory skin diseases and psychological stress

Biazus Soares,

Mahmoud,

Yosipovitch

et al. 2024

Acad Dermatol Venereol

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Inflammatory skin diseases are known to negatively impact patient psychology, with individuals experiencing higher rates of stress and subsequent diminished quality of life, as well as mental health issues including anxiety and depression. Moreover, increased psychological stress has been found to exacerbate existing inflammatory skin diseases. The association between inflammatory skin diseases and psychological stress is a timely topic, and a framework to better understand the relationship between the two that integrates available literature is needed. In this narrative review article, we discuss potential neurobiological mechanisms behind psychological stress due to inflammatory skin diseases, focusing mainly on proinflammatory cytokines in the circulating system (the brain‐gut‐skin communications) and the default mode network in the brain. We also discuss potential descending pathways from the brain that lead to aggravation of inflammatory skin diseases due to psychological stress, including the central and peripheral hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axes, peripheral nerves and the skin barrier function.

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“…For example, after an earthquake, an entire population can be evacuated and the government can declare a state of emergency, leading to a considerable number of people requiring assistance in the following months (D'Alfonso et al, 2012). Therefore, natural catastrophes typically represent a source of intense psychological stress (Han et al, 2021; Itoh et al, 2022; Kotozaki & Kawashima, 2012; Lugović‐Mihić et al, 2021; Mondal et al, 2013; North & Pfefferbaum, 2013; Wakashima et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of catastrophic events on the sex ratio at birth: A systematic review

Fontanesi,

Verrocchio,

D'Ettorre

et al. 2023

American J Hum Biol

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ObjectiveThe impact of maternal stress on birth outcomes is well established in the scientific research. The sex ratio at birth (SRB), namely the ratio of male to female live births, shows significant alteration when mothers experience acute stress conditions, as proposed by the Trivers‐Willard Hypothesis. We aimed to synthetize the literature on the relationship between two exogenous and catastrophic stressful events (natural disasters and epidemics) and SRB.MethodsA systematic search was run in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, until March 9, 2023. The search produced 1336 articles and 25 articles met the inclusion criteria. We found seven case–control studies and 18 observational studies. Most of studies investigated the impact of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Only seven studies examined the effect of epidemics or pandemics.ResultsThe results of the studies seem inconsistent, as 16 studies found a decline in SRB, three found a rise, four did not record any change and two studies gave contradictory results. The period and population analyzed, the source of information, the method of variance analysis in the SRB, and the failure to assess confounding variables may have influenced the incongruence of the results.ConclusionOur findings contribute to improve the knowledge about the relationship between socio‐ecological factors and SRB. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms by which this relationship impacts public health, in particular the health of pregnant women and their newborn, through an accurate and consistent methodology that also includes confounding factors.

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Psychological Stress and Atopic Dermatitis Severity Following the Covid-19 Pandemic and an Earthquake

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Depression and stress levels in patients with different psychiatric disorders during concurrent early-phase COVID-19 pandemic and earthquake in Croatia

Depression and stress levels in patients with different psychiatric disorders during concurrent early-phase COVID-19 pandemic and earthquake in Croatia

The mind–skin connection: A narrative review exploring the link between inflammatory skin diseases and psychological stress

The impact of catastrophic events on the sex ratio at birth: A systematic review

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