title: Integration of multiple criteria for psychosomatic assessment of dermatological patients.
abstract: Psychological distress has been frequently reported in the setting of skin disorders. The Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) have been found to yield valuable integrative information, in addition to DSM-IV nosology, in a variety of medical diseases. The aim of this study was to verify whether this integration could also be helpful in dermatology. A consecutive series of 539 inpatients with various skin conditions was evaluated by means of structured interviews for DSM-IV and DCPR diagnoses. The prevalence of DSM-IV conditions was 38% (mostly depressive disorders and anxiety disorders), whereas that of DCPR clusters (mostly demoralization and somatization secondary to psychopathology) was 48%. Overall, DCPR diagnoses were significantly more frequent than DSM-IV categories, regardless of the presence or absence of a psychiatric disorder. Psychological assessment of patients with skin diseases needs to incorporate both clinical (DSM-IV) and subclinical (DCPR) methods of classification. The health status of these patients can be improved if their psychological problems are appropriately assessed and recognized.
authors.affiliation: Dermatological Institute IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy. a.picardi@idi.it
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Porcelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pasquini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fassone
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mazzotti
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lega
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramieri
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sagoni
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abeni
authors.forename: Albertina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiago
authors.forename: Giovanni A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Fava
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*