title: A practical approach to the assessment of psychosocial and psychiatric comorbidity in the dermatology patient.
abstract: It is well recognized that the clinical course of many dermatologic disorders is the result of a complex and sometimes reciprocal interaction between biological, psychiatric/psychological, and social factors that can have a predisposing, precipitating, and/or perpetuating role for the dermatologic disorder. Assessment of psychiatric and psychosocial comorbidity, which can be present in up to 30% of dermatology patients, is an important component of the overall clinical evaluation of the patient. This paper discusses a practical approach to the assessment of psychosocial and psychiatric factors, including suicide risk and parasuicidal behaviors in the dermatology patient. The approach further classifies these factors as predisposing, precipitating, and/or perpetuating, in order to aid the clinician with the possible secondary and tertiary prevention of some dermatologic disorders by management of their psychosocial and psychiatric comorbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 585 Springbank Drive, Suite 101, London, Ontario, N6J 1H3, Canada. magupta@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Madhulika A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Aditya K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult