Negative Emotions in Skin Disorders: A Systematic Review

The main purpose of this study is to describe how negative emotions were investigated in the sphere of dermatological diseases, in order (1) to summarize literature trends about skin disorders and emotions, (2) to highlight any imbalances between the most studied and neglected emotions, (3) and to offer directions for future research. A computerized literature search provided 41 relevant and potentially eligible studies. Results showed that the study of emotions in skin disease is limited to Sadness/depression and Fear/anxiety. The emotions of Anger and Disgust have been poorly explored in empirical studies, despite they could be theoretically considered a vulnerability factor for the development of skin disorders and the dermatological extreme consequences, as negative emotionality toward self and the pathological skin condition. The bibliometric qualitative analysis with VOSViewer software revealed that the majority of the studies have been focused on the relationships between vitiligo and Sadness/depression, dermatitis and Fear/anxiety, psoriasis, and Anger, suggesting the need of future research exploring Disgust and, in general, a wider emotional spectrum.