DOES PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION HELP CHRONIC SKIN CONDITIONS

The objective of the study was to assess the impact of psychological/p sychiatric: assessment in patients with chronic or intractable dermato logical conditions. A diagnostic interviewer was undertaken in order t o gin-point any temporal connection between an adverse life-event and the first appearance of the skin disorder. Following this, the dermato logist's assessment of subsequent changes in the skin disorder were no ted. The three main dermatological diagnoses were-atopic eczema (10), prurigo (10), and psoriasis (nine). Follow-up was for up to 5 years. A favourable response was netted in 40 out of the 64 patients who parti cipated in the study; this was usually evident within a few weeks and maintained thereafter. Remission was achieved in 12, while 28 showed s ome improvement. We conclude that this liaison between dermatology and psychiatry proved a valuable adjunct to normal dermatological treatme nt and wats followed by improvement in the majority of patients.