[Conception and evaluation of an 1-hour psychoeducational group intervention for patients with chronic pruritus]

This study investigated whether dermatology inpatients with chronic pruritus benefit from an 1-hour psychoeducational group therapy, adapted from educational programmes for patients with atopic dermatitis. Such a symptom-specific intervention for patients with chronic pruritus has not been evaluated before.

91 of the 315 group participants (28.9 %) and 175 of the 318 patients who had been admitted to the hospital without group therapy (55.0 %) were examined at admission and discharge using standardised questionnaires (Adjustment to Chronic Skin Diseases Questionnaire, Itch-Cognition Questionnaire) and a Visual Analogue Scale for itch intensity (randomized pre-post study).

Evaluation of the standardised questionnaires and of the change in pruritus intensity indicated no additive benefit of group intervention, both for the whole sample and for subgroups with chronic pruritus.

The results indicate either that group intervention in this form is not effective or that the dermatological medical treatment of the patients is so efficient that the intervention brings no added benefit. Perhaps an intervention of 1 hour is simply too short. Further conceptual developments of the psychoeducational programme are necessary.