Date of this Version

11-28-2023

Document Type

DNP Project

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common skin conditions prevalent in the pediatric population. Pediatric patients with atopic conditions like atopic dermatitis are more susceptible to mental health disorders when compared to their healthy counterparts, however, despite associations between dermatological conditions and mental health disorders, screening for mental health risk factors and disorders among these patients is still lacking. In efforts of bridging this gap, purpose and focus of this quality improvement project was to increase healthcare provider’s knowledge awareness of body image impairment and its associated mental health risk factors in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis after implementing an educational intervention. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted using a pre- and posttest study design. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit a total of five participants at an outpatient allergy and immunology clinic in Miami, Florida. The project was conducted remotely, including the delivery of the educational intervention and the administration of the pre- and posttests of a modified version of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire–Dermatology Version (BDDQ-DV) that measured knowledge awareness of body image impairment and associated mental health risk factors in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis. Results revealed no significant large difference between pretest and posttest mean scores after the educational intervention was implemented t(4)= -2.18, with a p = 0.095, (p > 0.05). Healthcare providers should receive training in this area to improve access to mental healthcare and health outcomes among this vulnerable population.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis, body image, mental health, children and adolescents, healthcare providers

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