The role of psychotherapy in allergy; credits and debits.

Psychological problems play an important role in the production and exacerbation of allergic disease, just as they do in other illnesses, especially those of a chronic nature entailing economic and social problems. Some psychotherapy is implicit in the practice of all physicians. While most patients make satisfactory progress with whatever treatment is outlined, a few do not, and they may be helped if a little extra time is taken to investigate and rebalance their mental environment. In the treatment of patients with allergic disease, dealing with emotional problems is considered as adjunctive to specific desensitization.