A practical approach to the assessment of psychosocial and psychiatric comorbidity in the dermatology patient.

Abstract

It is well recognized that the clinical course of many dermatologic disorders is the result of a complex and sometimes reciprocal interaction between biological, psychiatric/psychological, and social factors that can have a predisposing, precipitating, and/or perpetuating role for the dermatologic disorder. Assessment of psychiatric and psychosocial comorbidity, which can be present in up to 30% of dermatology patients, is an important component of the overall clinical evaluation of the patient. This paper discusses a practical approach to the assessment of psychosocial and psychiatric factors, including suicide risk and parasuicidal behaviors in the dermatology patient. The approach further classifies these factors as predisposing, precipitating, and/or perpetuating, in order to aid the clinician with the possible secondary and tertiary prevention of some dermatologic disorders by management of their psychosocial and psychiatric comorbidity.

• Authors: Madhulika A Gupta, Aditya K Gupta
• Journal: Clinics in dermatology (Clin Dermatol) Vol. 31 Issue 1 Pg. 57-61 ( 2013) ISSN: 1879-1131 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23245974 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Comorbidity
• Female
• Humans
• Life Change Events
• Male
• Mental Disorders (complications, physiopathology, psychology)
• Middle Aged
• Risk Factors
• Skin Diseases (complications, physiopathology, psychology)
• Stress, Psychological (complications, psychology)
• Suicide (psychology)
• Young Adult