Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
10:57
Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
23.6K
Internalized Stigma in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Aslı Bilgic1, Bilge Fettahlıoglu Karaman2, Duriye Deniz Demirseren3
1Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 26, 2023
Summary
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) patients experience significant internalized stigma, comparable to other chronic conditions. Factors like obesity and disease severity predict higher stigma, impacting healthcare access.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) imposes substantial physical, social, and psychological burdens.
- Internalized stigma, the acceptance of societal stereotypes about illness, remains understudied in HS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of internalized stigma in HS patients.
- To identify factors associated with internalized stigma in this population.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study involving 731 HS patients.
- Utilized the Internalized Stigma Scale (ISS), disease severity measures (Hurley staging, Physician Global Assessment), quality of life indices (DLQI, Skindex-16), and psychological assessments (BDI-II, VAS-pain).
Main Results:
- Mean ISS scores in HS patients were comparable to those in visible dermatological and psychiatric conditions.
- Significant correlations were observed between ISS and disease activity, quality of life, depression, and pain.
- Multivariate analysis identified obesity, family history, lower education/income, specific anatomical involvement (vulva/scrotum), and active treatment as independent predictors of high internalized stigma.
Conclusions:
- HS patients internalize societal negativity, potentially hindering healthcare access.
- Addressing internalized stigma is crucial for improving HS patient outcomes and healthcare quality, alongside disease management.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Staphylococcal Skin Infections
Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive coccus that resides harmlessly on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals. When the skin barrier is breached, it can shift from a commensal to an opportunistic pathogen. This transition is facilitated by surface adhesins, such as clumping factor B and S. aureus surface protein G (SasG), which bind to structural proteins, including loricrin and cytokeratin, in the damaged epidermis. Protein A, another key factor, binds the Fc region of...
01:27Acne Infection
Acne is a multifactorial skin condition primarily affecting adolescents and young adults, with a global prevalence estimated to exceed 75% in this demographic. The condition is characterized by the formation of comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), papules, pustules, nodules, and, in severe cases, cysts, particularly in areas rich in sebaceous glands such as the face, neck, chest, and back. The pathogenesis involves increased sebum production, follicular hyperkeratinization, colonization by...