Psychiatric morbidity in dermatological conditions.

Abstract Objective. A relationship between psychological factors and skin diseases has long been hypothesized. The objective of this study is to investigate the association of dermatology conditions with depression, anxiety and personality disorders. Method. A total of 144 dermatology outpatients and 100 controls were selected and assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM III-R personality disorders and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for presence of personality disorders and anxiety and depression. Results. A total of 77 (70%) of the patients and 26 (20%) of the control group reported moderate to severe anxiety and depression. Twenty-two patients (15.27%) and five controls (5%) suffered from personality disorders. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder was the most diagnosed personality disorder followed by avoidant, borderline and dependent personalities. Conclusion. The association between dermatological diseases and psychiatric and personality morbidity underscores the deep emotional suffering that can be associated with skin diseases and confirms the importance of psychiatric evaluation of dermatology patients. Our findings highlight the need for a biopsychosocial approach to patients with skin disease.