OBJECTIVES: Evaluate QoL and self-perceived stress in a population with atopic dermatitis. METHODS: For 5 consecutive days, 5 dermatology departments in France handed out self-perceived stress (PCV-Metra) and QoL questionnaires (SF12) to patients attending their outpatient clinics. RESULTS: Of a total 658 adult patients who attended an appointment and responded during these 5 days, 10.5% presented with atopic dermatitis diagnosed by the dermatologist. Mean patient age was 35.6 ± 17.0 years with more women than men (53.5% vs 46.6%). 41.1% had suffered from atopic dermatitis for less than one year and 25.5% for 5 years and more). One in two patients had made an appointment with their dermatologist because their atopic dermatitis had worsened. The self-perceived stress level was 9.1±4.3 and a sex-related bias in favour of women (10.3±4.7 vs 7.7±3.3, p=0.004). Patients who had suffered from dermatosis for more than 5 years had a self-perceived stress level of 11.6±3.8 vs 7.7±3.7 in patients with less than 5 years. In addition, patients seeing their dermatologist because their condition had worsened had a self-perceived stress level of 10.4±4.0 vs 9.1±4.4 in patients consulting for another reason. The SF12 mental component score was 46.2±10.6 in patients with recently diagnosed atopic dermatitis (not more than 5 years) vs 41.3±8.6 in those with more than 5 years. CONCLUSIONS:. The age of the atopic dermatitis (more or less than 5 years)  has a statistically significant impact on the self-perceived stress level (p=0.04). Neither sex, date of diagnosis, or exacerbation of the atopic dermatitis had an impact on SF12 mental or physical component scores. Atopic patients seem to suffer from chronic stress related to the chronic nature of the dermatosis, probably caused by exhaustion and known changes occurring in the hypothalamus-pituitary axis.