Severe acne increases risk of attempted suicide

According to new research, severe acne can increase the risk for suicidal thought. Adolescents treated with the drug isotretinoin for severe acne are at an increased risk of attempted suicide up to six months after the end of treatment.

Acne is a common skin complaint found in up to 80% of adolescents. Although many cases are mild, more severe cases can be quite severe, a sensitive problem in social groups often already self conscious about their appearance.

The team of researchers with the Karolinska Institute reviewed data from 5,756 people with acne who were prescribed isotretinoin from 1980 to 1989. The study found that people being treated for severe acne are twice as likely as their untreated peers to commit suicide, fueling the debate about whether the risk is caused by the condition itself or a drug used to treat it.

Severe acne sufferers are commonly prescribed a drug called isotretinoin, also known as Roaccutane, Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Clarus or Decutan.

Isotretinoin has been used to treat acne since the 1980s, with positive results. While the authors note that there has been numerous studies linking the drug to depression and suicidal behavior, the results have been inconsistent.

It is conceivable that patients whose skin improved became distraught if their social life did not benefit, the researchers speculated.

“Many studies have shown that acne in itself has a negative psychological impact. For example, in line with our findings, severe acne has been shown to be associated with suicidal behavior,” they wrote in the study, published Thursday in the British Medical Journal.