Psychodermatology

BACKGROUND: Psychodermatological disorders (PDs) and their associations with mental health problems are one of the most frequent research themes in dermatology outpatient settings. Surprisingly, very few studies have been conducted to evaluate PDs among patients with primary psychiatric conditions. As such, the relationship between preexisting psychiatric conditions and comorbid PDs is underrepresented in the literature. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the prevalence and distribution of PDs among adults with primary psychiatric conditions and determined their association with underlying psychiatric diagnoses...

Delusional infestation (DI) is the fixed false belief of pathogenic infestation of the skin or body despite no supporting medical evidence. It is a relatively rare condition with a reported prevalence of 1.48 per 1 million people. Successful treatment can be challenging as patients are often reluctant to accept referral or involvement of psychiatric services. We report a retrospective cohort study of 49 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of DI, assessed in a regional psychodermatology service over a 6-year period...

BACKGROUND: Psychogenic purpura is an idiopathic psychodermatologic condition of recurrent, painful purpura precipitated by psychological stress, predominantly affecting young females. Little consensus exists on the diagnostic guidelines for this rare condition, often resulting in costly, unnecessary, and stressful investigations as well as prolonged hospital admissions. OBJECTIVE: With this first up-to-date systematic review of 134 cases of psychogenic purpura in over a decade, we aim to thoroughly investigate the diagnostic strategy and treatment regimens used in the last decade...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Ointment pseudo-cheilitis is a recently recognized distinctive type of self-induced cheilitis. Lesions consist of a variable amount of crusts adhered to the vermilion. These crusts consist of dried saliva and dead cells mixed with applied medications attached to the lip surface. Patients are typically severely anxious or depressed; the condition impacts quality of life. Ointment pseudo-cheilitis is frequently misdiagnosed as exfoliative cheilitis or cheilitis glandularis. Biopsy reports are often non-revealing because there are no established histopathological criteria for this disease, and clinicians usually do not formulate the correct diagnostic hypothesis...

Vaccine hesitancy has been a contentious issue even before the pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has further amplified vaccine hesitancy, with worries about adverse effects, cultural and religious beliefs, and misinformation on social media. In dermatology, patients with pre-existing skin conditions may have specific concerns about the impact of the vaccine on their skin health. Factors such as cutaneous reactions, potential flares of underlying conditions, and fears of psoriasis worsening post-vaccination contribute to vaccine hesitancy...

Psychodermatology is a subspecialty of dermatology that is of increasing interest to dermatologists and patients. The case for the provision of at least regional psychodermatology services across Europe is robust. Psychodermatology services have been shown to have better, quicker and more cost-efficient clinical outcomes for patients with psychodermatological conditions. Despite this, psychodermatology services are not uniformly available across Europe. In fact many countries have yet to establish dedicated psychodermatology services...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Hand eczema is one of the most frequent dermatological diseases, with an incidence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact on life quality is considerable, giving rise to the need for a psycho-dermatological approach. This is a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) evaluating, either by the dermatological or psychological point of view, the effectiveness of an emollient and rehydrating topical product (Rilastil Difesa Sterile® cream) versus a standard treatment (i.e. moisturizing basic cream) in a group of 51 healthcare workers suffering from hand eczema during the COVID-19 pandemic...

Psoriasis is a common immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease, causing adverse effects on patients' quality of life and disease burden. In psychodermatology, psoriasis is included both in the group of dermatological diseases, in which the psychophysiological background plays a key role, and in dermatoses being a potential source of emotional disturbances or being a trigger for the development of secondary mental disorders. A comprehensive view of the patient with psoriasis, not only from the point of view of skin disease, but also as a result of a wide impact of stress, including low self-esteem and inappropriate social perception may have a key influence on improvement of quality of life of these patients...

It is well known that skin disease is associated with significant psychosocial morbidity, and that patients with skin disease can present with higher rates of suicidality than the general population. Clinicians often report numerous barriers to detecting and managing suicidality in busy outpatient settings. We aimed to establish the degree of suicidality within our psychodermatology patients and establish key characteristics that may serve as additional risk factors for suicidality. We conducted a retrospective review of clinical letters, patient notes, and a clinical database, for all 69 patients that attended our psychodermatology clinic since it was founded...

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress, a potential risk factor for cardiac autonomic dysfunction and cardiovascular (CV) risk, is known to induce the onset and exacerbation of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), a psychodermatological disorder. However, data regarding CV risks due to the stress associated with CSU are very limited. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at comparing the cardiac sympathovagal balance (SVB), inflammatory markers, perceived stress and quality of sleep in patients with CSU (test group) and normal subjects (control group)...

Plica neuropathica (PN), also known as plica polonica, trichoma, matting, felting, or bird's nest hair, is a common but rarely reported hair disorder. It is characterized by the abrupt onset of irreversible hair entanglement, forming a densely matted hair mass. PN has been associated with the use of ionic or herbal shampoos, vigorous hair care practice, self-neglect, systemic infection, parasitic infestation, immunosuppressive drugs, and psychiatric conditions. However, literature supporting the coexistence of PN in psychiatric disorders is scarce...

The negative socioeconomic impact of mental health disorders and skin diseases has increased in part due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has been a fertile ground for the emergence of psychopathologies. It is firmly established that there is a direct thread of etiopathogenetic communication between skin diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders, and the literature has tried to reveal the pathophysiological mechanisms governing such bidirectionality. This paper discusses this complex network of molecular pathways that are targeted by conventional and biological pharmacological agents that appear to impact two pathological spheres that previously seemed to have little connection...

Body Focused Repetitive Behavior Disorders (BFRBDs) are recurrent, compulsive, destructive behaviors directed towards the body. Although studies have demonstrated a 12.27%-13.7% prevalence rate, researchers found that dermatologists and psychiatrists show a lack of knowledge regarding psychodermatology resources and information about BFRBDs like trichotillomania (TTM). For treatments, there is a dearth of research investigating the clinical applications of various self-help training such as Decoupling (DC) and decoupling in sensu (DC-is) and Habit Reversal Training (HRT)...

BACKGROUND: Each brain hemisphere plays a specialized role in cognitive and behavioral processes, known as hemispheric lateralization. In chronic skin diseases, such as plaque psoriasis (Pso) and atopic dermatitis (AD), the degree of lateralization between the frontal hemispheres may provide insight into specific connections between skin diseases and the psyche. This study aims to analyze the hemispherical lateralization, neurovegetative responses, and psychometric characteristics of patients with Pso and AD...

We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices patterns of Moroccan dermatologists and their awareness of psychodermatology (PD). A survey questionnaire was distributed to dermatologists and dermatology trainees from May to July 2022. A total of 112 completed surveys were received. 63.4% were dermatologists and 36,6 % were dermatology residents. 72.3% summarized psychodermatology as the psychological impact of dermatological conditions. 50.9% reported frequent involvement with PD. Patients with a psycho-cutaneous condition represented a significant proportion of dermatological consultations (10 to 25% in 41...

Psychodermatology is the crossover discipline between Dermatology and Clinical Psychology and/or Psychiatry. It encompasses both Psychiatric diseases that present with cutaneous manifestations (such as delusional infestation) or more commonly, the psychiatric or psychological problems associated with skin disease, such as depression associated with psoriasis. These problems may be the result either of imbalance in or be the consequence of alteration in the homoeostatic endocrine mechanisms found in the systemic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or in the local cutaneous corticotrophin-releasing factor-proopiomelanocortin-corticosteroid axis...

INTRODUCTION: Itch is unpleasant and induces the urge to scratch. This is adaptive to remove the itch-inducing stimulus from the skin. Accordingly, itch draws attention to protect our bodily integrity. Recent studies investigated whether attention is preferentially drawn towards its location, i.e., attentional bias (AB), and also whether this bias could be changed in healthy individuals. So far, results are mixed concerning the existance of an attentional bias towards itch stimuli in healthy individuals as well as the impact of modifications...

INTRODUCTION: Despite the negative effects of stigma in individuals with skin conditions, interventions to address its effects are rare. This might be in part due to a continued lack of understanding as to how individuals respond to stigma. METHODS: In this study, we employed a step-case analytic method, using traditional regression, moderation, and network analyses, to examine the role of psychological flexibility (PF) with stigmatized experiences, and stigma-related outcomes...