Acne and romantic relationships: The mediating effects of relational attitudes

Background Prior research has indicated that adult acne can have deleterious psychological effects on interpersonal relations. The current study examined whether adult acne influences women's satisfaction of their needs in romantic relationships and explored a possible mediating role of relational attitudes. Methods A total of 227 participants (114 with adult acne and 113 without) were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling via aesthetic/acne clinics, HMOs, cosmetics stores, and online platforms (Facebook and WhatsApp), and completed self-report questionnaires. Data was analyzed using Pearson correlations, MANOVA to compare relational variables between groups, and mediation analyses with PROCESS (Model 4), with significance set at p < .05. Results Consistent with the research hypotheses, women with acne reported more inflated and more restricted sense of relational entitlement, greater pathological concern, and less authenticity than women without acne. The association between adult acne and satisfaction of needs in romantic relationships was mediated by a restricted sense of entitlement, pathological concern and authenticity. Conclusions These findings enhance our understanding of how adult acne impacts romantic relationships and underscore the importance of interventions to promote healthier relational dynamics for people with adult acne.