Psychosocial characterization of patients with atopic dermatitis in conventional versus alternative-medical therapy

Objective: Recording of psychosocial differences: between patients with ato pic dermatitis (AD) undergoing conventional versus alternative-medical trea tment as indication of a center-related selection effect. Study Design: In this prospective comparative study, inpatients of an alternative-medical cl inic and of the University Dermatology Clinic Freiburg were given standardi zed questionnaires on psychosocial characteristics in the areas of disease- specific stress, social support, and coping with the disease. Patients: Fif ty-nine consecutive AD patients were recruited at the alternative-medical c linic and 79 AD patients at the University Dermatology Clinic.: Fifty-five (93.2%) and 73 (92.4%) patients respectively returned completed questionnai res. Results: The two treatment groups differed markedly from one another w ith respect to psychosocial parameters. Patients of the alternative-medical clinic showed greater disease-specific stress, lower social integration, a nd higher values in the coping scales 'depressive coping' and 'religious co nviction and search for meaning: Compared to patients with acne vulgaris, b oth patient groups were under significantly greater disease-specific stress . The factor 'social integration', was determined by logistical regression analysis to be the most important differentiation characteristic between th e groups. Conclusions: Patients under alternative-medical treatment may sho w significant psychosocial differences in comparison with conventionally tr eated patients. In comparative studies between conventional and alternative -medical therapy centers, selection effects must be assumed and taken into account when evaluating the study.