Psoriasis, a disease which marks the skin and wounds the psyche. A wound so deep that in some people, especially women, causing anxiety and depressive symptoms. A wound often overlooked by dermatologists.
The therapy should be applied taking into account the psychological impact that causes the disease in each patient and that regardless of the severity of the disease. E 'is the new way to treat patients with psoriasis indicated by Studio PSYCHAE (Psoriasis: Survey for the Control of Anxiety and Depression) - Italian study conducted in 39 universities, conducted in collaboration with Novartis and with the sponsorship of the Italian Society Dermatology of medical, surgical, aesthetic and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
The study showed that 46 percent of patients, suffering in almost all cases of psoriasis cases to be vulgar, had psychological and 11 percent of patients showed a real suffering psychopathology. In both cases were affected women more than men: 54 percent of women had psychological discomfort compared with 40 percent of men, 17 percent of women suffering manifested psychopathology compared to 7 percent of men.
"An important conclusion is that the psychological discomfort that the patient lives is not correlated with the extent of the disease on the body of the patient: there are patients with minimal injuries but visible, for professional or personal reasons, deeply suffering their disease .- Alberto says Caputo, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in Relational Sciences at the University of Milan and Head of Skin Deep Centro Studi di Milano, commenting on the results of the study - the dermatologist and even emerge from this study should not only assess the extent and severity of the disease but also the psychological impact and psychopathology, namely the presence of anxious and depressive symptoms. This means that it can be a more appropriate treatment with systemic drugs such as cyclosporine, where the discomfort is great psychological and extent of the disease is small. At the same time, it is recommended to the patient a specialist in the psychological. "
"The study PSYCHAE - adds Maria Laura Flori, Medical Level I, in charge of the Allergologia simple structure Dermatology's Hospital University of Siena - showed that dermatologists tend to have a management style in which the clinical aspect and attention to aspects dermatological and neglect the psychological impact of the disease. The study that has examined the drug of first choice for psoriasis showed that topical therapy is the most frequently used, but the best results were obtained with the systemic drugs, particularly with cyclosporine has been the most active , Ensuring better compliance and better results in terms of psychological impact of the disease. "
"The planet psoriasis is the planet of the stigma. And for those who suffer from psoriasis becomes the planet of psychological discomfort that, for many, is the antechamber of depressive symptoms. The planet psoriasis is, unfortunately, very crowded. Every one hundred Italians, four are sick. In practice, almost three million patients, all conscious, but not resigned to this, not ever recover. " Mara speaks Maccarone President of the Association for the Defense of Psoriatic (ADIPSO). The press conference to present the study Psychae happens to coincide with the opening in Rome of the International Congress sponsored by ADIPSO entitled "Psoriasis, medical and social problem. Comparison between patients, doctors, social workers and health policy."
'It is the stigma of the planet - adds Mara Maccarone-because it is rooted conviction that psoriasis is contagious. For years we say that is not true, bringing ample scientific evidence. The sick of psoriasis today is fairly regarding supported therapies. There are drugs that help control the disease and centers throughout Italy which patients can turn to. What is decidedly lacking an understanding of the psychological and even psychopathology the patient lives, to the detriment of adhesion therapy. Often, but I would say almost always, the facilities of diagnosis and treatment that no aid is given. The cure starts from the mind. Al ill lacks the comprehensive approach. "