The Adjunctive Impact of Counselling in Management of Dermatological Patients: Tertiary Hospital Experience

Abstract

BackgroundThe skin as one of the largest organs in the body mirrors our emotion. Exhaustive inquiry of a dermatology patients' life experience might help to provide insight and understanding to coping and the need for psychological counselling which might help in long term remission of such dermatoses. Methods and MaterialsThis interventional study was carried out on newly diagnosed dermatology subjects from September 2012 to February 2014. Within this period, subjects who met the inclusion criteria for the study were recruited into the study by the researchers. The diagnoses of the skin deramtoses were made and some confirmed by histology were necessary.Each of the subjects was administered a self-evaluation structured questionnaire after thorough explanation and consent to participate in the study was obtained. Their psychological morbidity was noted and thirty (30) minutes to Sixty (60) minutes counselling session conducted for each subject. ResultsA total number of 2,340 dermatological patients were seen out of which 930 were newly diagnosed dermatological cases. Two hundred and forty six (246) who met the inclusion criteria for the study were recruited. These comprised 155 (63.0%) females and 91 (37.0%) males. Their age ranges from 15years to 70years with a mean age and standard deviation of 31.6years ± 11.2 respectively. Subjects who were students with higher educational degree suffered more psychological morbidity or distress. However, there was statistically significant reduction on the impact of their psychological morbidity after few sessions of counselling which comprised psychoanalytical psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.In conclusion, there was a significant psychological morbidity among dermatological patients. Imperatively, a well articulated and integrated psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy would be of immense benefits to dermatology patients apart from administration and usage of drugs.