{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T12:56:50Z","timestamp":1791377810456,"version":"4.3.2"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"PAGEPress Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791331200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dermatol Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Chronic skin diseases such as psoriasis, vitiligo, eczema, and acne can have substantial psychosocial effects beyond physical symptoms. Visible dermatological conditions often lead to stigmatization, which may negatively influence social interactions, emotional well-being, and quality of life. However, limited research has examined perceived stigmatization among patients with chronic skin diseases in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to quantify and compare perceived stigmatization among patients with chronic skin diseases and identify demographic and clinical factors associated with stigma severity. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 446 patients with chronic skin diseases. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, including sociodemographic characteristics, clinical information, and the 6-Item Stigmatization Scale. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics. Independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariable linear regression analysis were performed to examine associations between stigma scores and demographic and clinical variables. A total of 446 participants were included, with females comprising 264 (59.2%) and most aged 18-40 years (291, 65.2%). Vitiligo (114, 25.6%) and psoriasis (102, 22.9%) were the most common conditions. Many participants reported stigma-related experiences, including feeling unattractive sometimes or very often (326, 73.0%). Stigma scores were significantly higher among males than females (8.12\u00b13.93 vs. 7.03\u00b14.73, p=0.011) and varied by monthly income (p&lt;0.001). Stigma also differed across disease types (p&lt;0.001), with the highest scores among vitiligo patients (8.74\u00b13.98). In regression analysis, gender (B=1.039, p=0.016), age at disease onset (B=0.052, p=0.002), disease duration (B=\u22121.268, p=0.003), and family history (B=1.825, p&lt;0.001) were significant predictors of stigma. To conclude, stigmatization is a common psychosocial burden among patients with chronic skin diseases. Addressing stigma through patient support, public education, and integrated psychological care may help improve the well-being of affected individuals.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4081\/dr.2026.10913","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T11:58:18Z","timestamp":1791374298000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Stigmatization in patients with chronic skin diseases in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.4081","author":[{"given":"Danah Sami","family":"Alali","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marwa","family":"Salman Aldehailan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Almaha","family":"Abdullah Alhijab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tala Abdullah","family":"Alshamrani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulelah","family":"Nabil Alkadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ajlan","family":"Hashim Alajlani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sukaina","family":"Mohammad Al Haddad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2549","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"44348","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"1. 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J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2006;20:1-8.","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-3083.2005.01369.x"},{"key":"44357","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"10. Schmid-Ott G, Jaeger B, Kuensebeck HW, et al. Dimensions of stigmatization in patients with psoriasis using the questionnaire on experience with skin complaints. Dermatology 1996;193:304-10.","DOI":"10.1159\/000246275"},{"key":"44358","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"11. Dimitrov D, Matusiak \u0141, Evers AWM, et al. Arabic language skin-related stigmatization instruments: translation and validation process. Adv Clin Exp Med 2019;28:825-32.","DOI":"10.17219\/acem\/102617"},{"key":"44359","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"12. Heim-Ohmayer P, Schielein MC, Ziehfreund S, et al. The impact of stigmatization of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and mastocytosis in different areas of life \u2013 A qualitative interview study. 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Nguyen CM, Beroukhim K, Danesh MJ, et al. The psychosocial impact of acne, vitiligo, and psoriasis: a review. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2016;9:383-92.","DOI":"10.2147\/CCID.S76088"},{"key":"44364","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"17. Zhang XJ, Wang AP, Shi TY, et al. The psychosocial adaptation of patients with skin disease: a scoping review. BMC Public Health 2019;19:1404.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-019-7775-0"},{"key":"44365","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"18. Rutter E, Owen A. \u2018A boy actually said I looked like a fire victim\u2019: Exploring the psychosocial impacts of psoriasis, eczema and acne amongst young women in the UK through thematic analysis. J Health Psychol 2025;30:2322-39.","DOI":"10.1177\/13591053241312504"},{"key":"44366","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"19. Tumturk M, Caf N, Kurhan F. Exploring the phenomenon of social appearance anxiety in individuals suffering from seborrheic dermatitis: Comprehensive insights derived from a case-control study. North Clin Istanb 2025;12:216-21.","DOI":"10.14744\/nci.2025.26928"}],"container-title":["Dermatology Reports"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.pagepress.net\/dr\/article\/download\/10913\/10107","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.pagepress.net\/dr\/article\/download\/10913\/10107","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T11:58:23Z","timestamp":1791374303000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.pagepress.net\/dr\/article\/view\/10913"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"references-count":19,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4081\/dr.2026.10913","relation":{},"ISSN":["2036-7406","2036-7392"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2036-7406","type":"electronic"},{"value":"2036-7392","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]}}}