Application of psychotherapy in dermatological practice

Abstract

Psychodermatology represents a frontier between dermatology and mental health-related sciences. It is well established that psychosocial stress may exacerbate the symptoms of dermatological disorders, and alterations
due to different skin conditions may also affect mental health. A a category of psychological disorders is characterized by prominent skin symptoms. Based on these facts, it is evident that psychotherapeutic intervention might be relevant in the treatment of skin lesions and the observation of skin symptoms facilitate the diagnosis of an underlying psychiatric disorder. In this article, we review psychodermatological disorders and psychotherapeutic interventions implicated in the treatment of certain skin conditions.