ArticleJMIR dermatology2026
Public Interest in Stress-Induced Dermatologic Conditions and Psychodermatologic Disorders Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Segmented Regression Analysis.
Article in JMIR dermatology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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5 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Psychological stress is known to exacerbate dermatologic conditions such as acne, eczema, and compulsive skin behaviors. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a global stressor with widely experienced psychosocial effects and potential impacts on skin health. This study analyzes US public interest in stress-induced dermatologic conditions and psychodermatologic disorders to test for pandemic-associated shifts in 6 search terms. Objective: This study aimed to assess whether the onset and resolution of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with changes in Google Search interest in psychodermatologic and stress-related skin conditions in the United States. Methods: Monthly relative search volume (RSV; 0-100 scale) for 6 terms ("skin picking," "trichotillomania," "stress rash," "eczema flare up," "dermatillomania," and "anxiety skin picking") was obtained from Google Trends for January 2018 through December 2024 (n=84 monthly observations per term); the 6 primary and 4 secondary exploratory terms were extracted in April 2025 and the 5 synonymic terms in July 2026, using the identical query window. A segmented regression model with break points at the World Health Organization's (WHO) pandemic timeline (March 2020 declaration; May 2023 end of concern) tested for level and slope changes at pandemic onset and post pandemic. Newey-West (heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent) SEs corrected for residual autocorrelation, and joint Results: A total of 2 of the 6 terms showed a statistically significant pandemic-onset effect after correction: "dermatillomania" (level shift +15.20 RSV points; Bonferroni Conclusions: Public search interest in a subset of psychodermatologic conditions, specifically "dermatillomania" and "anxiety skin picking," showed statistically significant shifts temporally coinciding with COVID-19 pandemic onset. A sensitivity analysis using synonym terms did not consistently reproduce these findings, indicating sensitivity to both analytic choices and search-term phrasing. These results support further research into psychodermatology and illustrate how public search behavior can reflect societal stress, though causal interpretation is unwarranted from search-volume data alone.
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