A psychometric study of patients with nail dystrophies.
BACKGROUND
Survey studies suggest that patients with various dermatologic conditions experience concomitant psychologic distress.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine which types of psychologic distress may be correlated with dystrophic disease of the nail in nonpsychiatric patients.


METHODS
Fifty-seven adult subjects presenting for treatment of nail dystrophies completed a survey instrument, which included 5 psychometric measures.


RESULTS
On average, patients rated the severity of their nail dystrophy and functional deficit higher (7.40/10 and 6.00, respectively) than investigators (6.15 and 3.75, respectively). Compared with age- and sex-matched nonpsychiatric patients, subjects in the study were moderately more anxious and minimally to mildly more depressed. Subjects had moderately depressed total self-concept, but their body image was approximately normal. Overall, subjects exhibited markedly more severe psychologic symptoms (84th percentile) than the normal sample, with the scores on the psychoticism, obsessive-compulsive, and paranoid ideation subscales being the most elevated.


CONCLUSIONS
The subjects with nail dystrophy had markedly exacerbated psychologic symptoms compared with age- and sex-matched nonpsychiatric patients.
Alam
M
M
Department of Dermatology and Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Moossavi
M
M
Ginsburg
I
I
Scher
R K
RK
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009260:Nail Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires