BACKGROUND: While psychosomatic factors may be involved in eliciting as well as coping with chronic itch, psychiatric comorbidity often goes unrecognized in dermatological patients. AIM: To record psychiatric illness, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic pretreatment, and psychotherapy indication in dermatology inpatients with pruritus. METHODS: A consecutive sample of 109 dermatology inpatients with the symptom of pruritus were examined by interviews with consecutive ratings by experts (using psychiatric ICD-10 diagnoses, the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and the Impairment Score) and self-assessment using the the Eppendorf Itch Questionnaire. RESULTS: In > 70% of the pruritus patients, 1-6 psychiatric diagnoses could be demonstrated. In > 60%, psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment was recommended. In contrast, almost 90% of the patients had had no previous psychotherapeutic experience. CONCLUSION: As psychiatric comorbidity in dermatology inpatients suffering from chronic itch is high, dermatology departments should aim for an improvement of their psychosomatic consultation and liaison services.
BACKGROUND: While psychosomatic factors may be involved in eliciting as well as coping with chronic itch, psychiatric comorbidity often goes unrecognized in dermatological patients. AIM: To record psychiatric illness, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic pretreatment, and psychotherapy indication in dermatology inpatients with pruritus. METHODS: A consecutive sample of 109 dermatology inpatients with the symptom of pruritus were examined by interviews with consecutive ratings by experts (using psychiatric ICD-10 diagnoses, the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and the Impairment Score) and self-assessment using the the Eppendorf Itch Questionnaire. RESULTS: In > 70% of the prurituspatients, 1-6 psychiatric diagnoses could be demonstrated. In > 60%, psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment was recommended. In contrast, almost 90% of the patients had had no previous psychotherapeutic experience. CONCLUSION: As psychiatric comorbidity in dermatology inpatients suffering from chronic itch is high, dermatology departments should aim for an improvement of their psychosomatic consultation and liaison services.
Authors: Antoinette I M van Laarhoven; Ineke M van der Sman-Mauriks; A Rogier T Donders; Mathilde C Pronk; Peter C M van de Kerkhof; Andrea W M Evers Journal: J Invest Dermatol Date: 2014-12-01 Impact factor: 8.551
Authors: S Ständer; C Blome; B Breil; P Bruland; U Darsow; M Dugas; A Evers; F Fritz; M Metz; N Q Phan; U Raap; A Reich; G Schneider; S Steinke; J Szepietowski; E Weisshaar; M Augustin Journal: Hautarzt Date: 2012-07 Impact factor: 0.751