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30 - Psychocutaneous disorders

from Part III - Working with specific units

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2009

By
Nora Turjanski
Edited by
Geoffrey Lloyd  and
Elspeth Guthrie
Geoffrey Lloyd
Affiliation:
Priory Hospital, London
Elspeth Guthrie
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
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Summary

A relationship between dermatological conditions and psychological factors has long been observed. It has been estimated that approximately a third of the patients presenting with dermatological disorders have some psychological comorbidity. The term psychocutaneous disorder describes several distinct psychiatric disorders in which the skin is affected. Psychogenic parasitosis includes conditions in which a person has a belief that he or she is suffering an infestation with living organisms despite a lack of evidence that such infestation exists. Dermatologists' perception of the patients' psychological wellbeing is influenced by their conceptual models of illness. Adolescents and young adults may be more vulnerable to develop depression as a result of the cosmetic impact on their body image and self-esteem. Face transplantation is now a realistic treatment for people with severe facial disfigurement from burns, trauma or malignant disease.

Keywords

adolescentdepressiondermatological conditiondermatologistpsychological factorskinpsychocutaneous disorderpsychogenic parasitosis
Type
Chapter
Information
Handbook of Liaison Psychiatry , pp. 714 - 732
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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