Group Approach Psychotherapy on Patients with Psoriasis

Overview

Objective:
Psoriasis ranks among diseases which significantly affect patient’s quality of life. Influence of dermatological treatment and influence of group approach psychotherapy on patients’ quality of life were assessed.

Methods:
105 patients were included in the study aimed on the quality of life. 29 of these patients agreed with group approach psychotherapy which was carried out once a week for 3 months but only 19 patients finished it. These 19 patients underwent the treatment in 2 statistically comparable groups. There were no changes in dermatological treatment during psychotherapy. The effect of psychotherapy was evaluated by PASI ( Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) , PDI ( Psoriasis Disability Index) , the Questionnaire of the General Life Satisfaction and CAQ ( Clinical Analysis Questionnaire).

Results:
There was statistically significant reduction in PASI and PDI after psychotherapy in the first group while the reduction was not statistically significant in the second group. Other parameters were little influenced by psychotherapy.

Conclusion:
Group approach psychotherapy did not lead to significant decrease of psychopathologic features that were too pronounced and too fixed in our patients. Decrease of an average number of psychic disorders per 1 patient was only seen. Group approach psychotherapy led to improvement of clinical features of psoriasis and was evaluated by patients in a positive way. According to our experience, 3-month psychotherapy is too short in patients with high proportion of psychopathologic features. Long-term psychotherapeutical approach will probably be necessary in these cases.

Key words:
psoriasis vulgaris – quality of life – group approach psychotherapy