Scientists have found that people with mental health conditions who also have skin problems may face worse mental health outcomes, including a higher risk of depression and suicidal thoughts.
This new research, presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) meeting in Amsterdam, could help doctors identify which patients need extra care and personalized treatment.
The study looked at 481 people who were experiencing their first episode of psychosis. Psychosis is a mental health condition where a person loses touch with reality and may experience hallucinations or delusions.
Out of these patients, about 14.5% showed skin-related symptoms such as rashes, itching, or sensitivity to light. These symptoms were more common in women (24%) than in men (9.8%).
All participants were treated with antipsychotic medication for four weeks, and then doctors measured their mental health progress.
What they found was striking: patients with skin conditions were more likely to feel depressed and to have suicidal thoughts than those without skin issues.
Only 7% of patients without skin conditions reported suicidal thoughts or attempts, but among those with skin problems, that number jumped to about 25%.
These patients also reported feeling less well overall and showed more signs of emotional distress.
Dr. Joaquín Galvañ from the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón in Madrid, who led the study, said these results show that having skin problems could be an early warning sign that a person is at higher risk for poor mental health outcomes.
He explained that if future research confirms this link, doctors might be able to use skin symptoms as an early marker—similar to how a blood test can show higher risks for heart disease or cancer.
There’s a biological reason why this connection might exist. The skin and the brain both come from the same embryonic layer, called the ectoderm.
Because of this shared origin, they may be affected by similar biological processes, such as inflammation. Dr. Galvañ and his team believe that this connection could help explain why problems in the skin might signal problems in the brain.
He also noted that while it’s already known that many people with skin conditions develop anxiety or depression, this study approached the question from the opposite direction: do people with mental health conditions also tend to have skin problems—and can these problems predict worse outcomes?
The results suggest that dermatological symptoms might be a visible sign of more severe illness in the early stages of psychosis. If confirmed, this could help doctors identify a subgroup of patients who might benefit from closer monitoring or tailored treatment to prevent further decline.
Professor Eric Ruhe, a psychiatrist at Radboud University in the Netherlands who was not involved in the research, said the findings are intriguing and worth investigating further.
He pointed out that because the skin and brain share the same developmental origins, studying this link could even help researchers understand which treatments work best by studying patients’ skin cells in the lab.
This study opens up a fascinating new field connecting dermatology and psychiatry. It suggests that the skin may be more than just a reflection of physical health—it might also provide clues about mental well-being.
Future studies will need to confirm these results and explore whether similar patterns exist in other psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, or depression.
If proven true, this discovery could help clinicians detect mental health deterioration earlier and provide more personalized, effective care for people with psychosis and other mental illnesses.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about cannabis use disorder linked to increased risk of mental diseases and some mental health drugs can cause rapid weight gain.
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