Parents are Very Worried About the Effects of Severe Acne on their Teenage Children as Reported in a New Survey

- Deep concerns about physical, emotional, and social impact underscore urgency to effectively treat severe acne and mitigate prolonged distress(1)

Findings reflect heightened stress on families as teens cope with isolation and embarrassment; remote schooling eases some worries but exacerbates others

News provided by

Sun Pharma

Apr 07, 2021, 07:45 ET

PRINCETON, N.J., April 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc., USA (Sun Pharma), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mumbai-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, today released results of a survey that reveals a deep sense of worry among parents in the U.S. about the effects of severe acne on their teenage children. The survey, which was sponsored by Sun Pharma, in collaboration with the American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS), polled 250 parents of teenagers with severe [nodular or cystic] acne, showed that the vast majority of respondents – at least 9 in 10 - are worried about their child's physical, emotional, and social wellness, as well as how these factors affect family dynamics.

Watch video of Hilary Baldwin, MD, medical director of the Acne Treatment and Research Center in Brooklyn, NY, and past president of the American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS), who says these survey results underscore the importance of teenagers with nodular or cystic acne seeing a dermatologist and starting effective treatment as soon as possible, to avoid the possibility of lifelong physical scars and emotional distress.

The survey, which was conducted online from October 29 through November 5, 2020 by Regina Corso Consulting, reveals that 93% of respondents worry that severe acne will leave their children's faces scarred, and nearly as many (88%) shared concern about the impact on their child's social life and mental health. Fifty percent (50%) of parents also said they are worried about how their child's plight might impact the rest of the family, and 70% worry about their child's siblings getting severe acne. Although almost all respondents indicated they had taken their child to a dermatologist, or were planning to do so, more than half (55%) believed they should have seen a doctor sooner, and 70% said they sometimes feel guilty for not seeking earlier help.

"These survey results underscore the importance of teenagers with nodular or cystic acne seeing a dermatologist and starting effective treatment as soon as possible, to avoid the possibility of lifelong physical scars and emotional distress," said Hilary Baldwin, MD, medical director of the Acne Treatment and Research Center in Brooklyn, NY, and past president of the AARS. "As a board-certified dermatologist, and as a parent of two children who have dealt with severe acne, I can honestly say parents cannot fully understand what their teenagers are going through. Timely intervention can help the child who is suffering from this condition, as well as minimize potential negative impact on their whole family," added Dr. Baldwin, who is also a clinical associate professor of Dermatology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center.

The survey findings also show how the COVID-19 pandemic has had a mixed effect on the lives of teenagers and families affected by severe acne. On the one hand, three-quarters (67%) of parents agreed that the cessation of in-school learning has been great for their child, as that has helped them avoid the embarrassment that can result from interacting with peers in person. On the other hand, 53% of parents said online instruction was worse for their child because of the way remote learning platforms heighten the focus on participants' faces. Whereas one-third (32%) of parents said their child has been bullied in person because of their severe acne, almost one in five said their child has been cyber-bullied.

"These survey results also mean that the severity of a child's acne is not just based on a clinicians' assessment but of the patients own perception as well," said AARS President J. Mark Jackson, MD, FAAD. "Early appropriate intervention by dermatologists can prevent long-term sequalae. We are grateful to Sun Pharma for their commitment to patients and for supporting this survey highlighting the importance of taking this condition seriously."

"Parents of teens with severe acne are encouraged to be especially vigilant about maintaining their child's social and emotional health, especially now that the pandemic may have vastly limited in-person doctor visits and made telemedicine more common," noted Stacey Moore, AARS executive director. "This places a significant burden on parents and other family members, as doctors can't see what's going on behind the scenes, whether on screen or in their offices."

"We are grateful to be able to provide important insights to help people dealing with severe acne understand the impact of the condition on parents, teenagers, and families," said Andy Nelson, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Sun Pharma." We thank the AARS and Dr. Baldwin for helping to inform on topics that would provide meaningful outputs and to the 250 parents from across the U.S. who participated in the survey."

For more survey results, please visit www.SunPharmaDerm.com.

Disclaimer

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About Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc., USA

Sun Pharma is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (SPIL). SPIL is the world's fourth largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company and India's top pharmaceutical company. A vertically integrated business and a skilled team enables it to deliver high-quality products, trusted by customers and patients in over 100 countries across the world, at affordable prices. Its global presence is supported by manufacturing facilities spread across 6 continents and approved by multiple regulatory agencies, coupled with a multi-cultural workforce comprising over 50 nationalities. SPIL fosters excellence through innovation supported by strong R&D capabilities across multiple R&D centers, with investments of approximately 6% of annual revenues in R&D. For further information, please visit www.sunpharma.com & follow us on Twitter @SunPharma_Live

About American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS)

The mission of the AARS, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is to promote, support, develop and provide an educational forum for the exchange of information, to promote clinical research and mentoring opportunities for dermatology healthcare professionals, and to improve the care of patients who suffer from acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, otherwise known as "acne inversa," and rosacea. The AARS encourages healthcare professionals to become members to receive the latest education covering these diseases. Visit our website at acneandrosacea.org to learn more and to find a clinical trial in your area, and follow/like us on Facebook.

References:

Sun Pharma data on file 2021. Survey: Parents of Teens with Acne, Regina Corso Consulting online survey, October 29-November 5, 2020, 250 U.S. parents of a child 12-18 years of age and who have severe acne, cystic acne or severe nodular acne.

SOURCE Sun Pharma