Psychosomatic cofactors and psychiatric comorbidity in patients with chronic itch

Background. While psychosomatic factors may be involved in eliciting as well as coping with chronic itch, psychiatric comorbidity often goes unrecognized in dermatological patients. Aim. To record psychiatric illness, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic pretreatment, and psychotherapy indication in dermatology inpatients with pruritus. Methods. A consecutive sample of 109 dermatology inpatients with the symptom of pruritus were examined by interviews with consecutive ratings by experts (using psychiatric ICD-10 diagnoses, the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and the Impairment Score) and self-assessment using the the Eppendorf Itch Questionnaire. Results. In > 70% of the pruritus patients, 1-6 psychiatric diagnoses could be demonstrated. In > 60%, psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment was recommended. In contrast, almost 90% of the patients had had no previous psychotherapeutic experience. Conclusion. As psychiatric comorbidity in dermatology inpatients suffering from chronic itch is high, dermatology departments should aim for an improvement of their psychosomatic consultation and liaison services.