Consensus Statement on the Psychological Needs of Patients With Chronic Inflammatory Skin Diseases.

Objective: To establish recommendations to determine, identify, and manage the psychological and emotional needs of patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases in clinical practice.
Methods: A guided discussion was held at meeting of a nominal group of expert dermatologists and psychologists on the psychological and emotional needs of patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases, how to manage these cases, and which referral criteria to employ. Based on the results of the discussion, and with the aid of a patient focus group and a review of the literature, a master document was drawn up with recommendations for discussion. A Delphi survey was circulated among a larger group of dermatologists and psychologists to assess the level of agreement with the recommendations.
Results: Ten recommendations were established and can be summarized as follows: explore the psychological sphere of the patients with open questions at the time of diagnosis and during the course of the disease; provide patients with clear explanations that address their concerns and inform them of the existence of patient associations; investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression and, if confirmed by means of a Hospital Anxiety and Depression score (HADS) of 11 or greater, consider referral to a mental-health specialist; and, during visits, create a climate of trust, empathize with patients, agree goals and treatment options with them, and motivate them to adhere to those treatments.
Conclusions: These recommendations may help health care professionals address psychological and emotional aspects of their patients in daily clinical practice.
(Copyright © 2018 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)