Psychodermatologic Dimensions of Psoriasis: Perceived Burden, Help-Seeking Behavior and Openness to Supportive Care

Area of Science:

• Psychodermatology
• Chronic disease management
• Patient-centered care

Background:

• Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated condition with significant psychodermatologic burden.
• Psychological stress, disease impact, and attitudes toward mental health influence patient support needs.
• Patient openness to supportive care, including music therapy, is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the psychodermatologic burden in psoriasis patients.
• To assess patient attitudes toward psychological counseling, psychiatric care, and music therapy.
• To identify factors associated with these attitudes.

Main Methods:

• A single-center cross-sectional study.
• 102 adult patients with psoriasis completed a self-administered questionnaire.
• Data collected between July 2023 and January 2025.

Main Results:

• 86.3% perceived stress related to psoriasis; 80.4% found dermatologist guidance beneficial.
• Psychological counseling (75.5%) was most accepted, followed by music therapy (54.9%) and psychiatric consultation (48.0%).
• Willingness for support varied based on perceived impact, stress, education, and music therapy awareness.

Conclusions:

• Psoriasis patients frequently link stress to their disease and exhibit diverse openness to support.
• Findings support individualized psychodermatologic care, with dermatologists identifying suitable patients for interventions.
• Dermatologists can guide patients toward psychological, psychiatric, or music therapy-based support.