Anxiety, patient satisfaction, and outcomes of intense pulsed light-based treatment for moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris in Southern Vietnam

Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory disorder with psychosocial consequences. Data on anxiety and outcomes of intense pulsed light (IPL)-based therapy for moderate-to-severe acne remain limited in Vietnam. This study described clinical characteristics, anxiety burden, satisfaction, and treatment outcomes after IPL-based management. A single-center study was conducted at Can Tho Dermatology Hospital (Vietnam) from May 2023 to May 2024. A total of 220 patients aged ≥12 years with moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris were enrolled. Acne severity was evaluated using the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), while anxiety was assessed using the anxiety subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). Thirty-six patients with anxiety underwent an 8-week IPL-based combination regimen. Clinical response, GAGS score, anxiety change, satisfaction, and tolerability were evaluated. The mean age was 21.8±6.3 years, and 59.5% were female. Papulopustular acne was predominant (98.6%), and all patients had facial involvement. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and atrophic scarring were present in 100.0% and 76.8%, respectively. Baseline anxiety was identified in 48.6% of patients. Severe acne was strongly associated with anxiety compared with moderate acne (odds ratio [OR]=24.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.32-127.43; p<0.001). In the treatment subgroup, good clinical response increased from 36.1% at week 4 to 66.7% at week 8. Mean GAGS score decreased from 25.3±3.8 to 12.7±5.9 (p<0.001), and treatment success reached 86.1%. Anxiety decreased from 100.0% to 30.6% after treatment (p<0.001). Most patients were satisfied (86.1%), and adverse effects were mild. Moderate-to-severe acne was frequently associated with anxiety. An IPL-based regimen was associated with clinical improvement, reduced anxiety, high satisfaction, and good tolerability.