Diagnosing an underlying psychiatric component in a patient who has skin disease involves several dimensions. Evaluation is challenging but it plays a major role in creating an effective treatment plan. There is no universally accepted classification of psychodermatological disease, but this list serves as a general overview of these disorders.
TIPSHEET: PSYCHODERMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Psychophysiological disorders
■ Acne
■ Aphthosis
■ Atopic dermatitis
■ Herpes simplex
■ Hyperhidrosis
■ Pruritus
■ Psoriasis
■ Rosacea
■ Seborrheic dermatitis
■ Urticaria
Psychiatric disorders with dermatological symptoms
■ Body dysmorphic disorder
■ Delusion of parasitosis
■ Dermatitis artefacta
■ Eating disorders
■ Neurotic excoriations
■ Obsessive-compulsive disorder
■ Phobic states
■ Psychogenic purpura
■ Trichotillomania
Dermatological disorders with psychiatric symptoms
■ Acne excoriee
■ Albinism
■ Alopecia areata
■ Chronic eczema
■ Generalized psoriasis
■ Ichithyosiform syndromes
■ Neurofibroma
■ Rhinophyma
■ Vitiligo
Miscellaneous
■ Cutaneous sensory syndrome: glossodynia, vulvodynia, chronic itching
■ Pseudopsychodermatological disease
■ Psychogenic purpura syndrome
Note: Adapted from a 2011 article published in Psychiatric Times by Mohammad Jafferany, MD, titled "Psychodermatology: When the Mind and Skin Interact."
