Psychological Stress, Resilience, and Social Support in Patients With Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition with a substantial impact on daily functioning. Although psychosocial factors such as stress, resilience, and social support influence disease burden in other inflammatory dermatoses, their role in ACD remains poorly defined.Objective: To compare perceived stress, resilience, and perceived social support between patients with clinically confirmed ACD and matched healthy controls and to examine their associations with key clinical variables.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional case-control study involving 225 adults with exclusive ACD, diagnosed through clinically relevant patch testing, and 225 matched controls without dermatologic disease. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Clinical severity, chronicity, and occupational exposure were also recorded. Group comparisons and multivariable linear regressions were performed.Results: Patients with ACD reported significantly higher perceived stress (41.0 ± 7.1 vs 36.0 ± 6.7; P < 0.001) and markedly lower resilience (61.8 ± 17.3 vs 79.0 ± 3.1; P < 0.001) compared to the control group. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in perceived social support between groups (P = 0.11).Conclusion: ACD is associated with substantial psychological vulnerability characterized by elevated stress and reduced resilience. Integrating psychosocial screening into routine management may improve clinical outcomes and patient care.