Communication gap between teens with acne and their parents

I recently came across an August, 2004 survey sponsored by Galderma Laboratories which presented some interesting findings regarding how parents view their son or daughter’s acne. It turns out their concern does not sometimes translate, and does not always reflect their teenager’s reality. Researchers surveyed 504 teenagers with acne along with 500 parents of teens with acne.

— 69% of parents claimed they were “supportive and understanding” about acne, but only 48% of the teens thought the same.

— 15% of parents said their teen experienced body image issues because of acne. 36% of the teens claimed they experienced body image issues.

— Only 1% of parents said acne caused problems with other family members. 18% of teens claimed problems, however.

— 9% of parents said their teens were “angry” as a result of acne. 25% of the teens said they were angry.

Do parents care? Yes, it appears that they really do, even more than we might think.

Do parents understand? While parents do seem to care, they may not understand the full ramifications of acne. From this survey, it appears that parents underestimate the negative emotional effects of acne. This could be because teenagers are not forthcoming with their feelings, or because our modern hectic lifestyles leave little time for engagement.