Psychological support for psoriasis

  Psoriasis is a typical psychosomatic skin disease, and the occurrence and development of psoriasis are closely related to the patient’s personality, emotional and other psychological factors and social environment. Studies have shown that there are more type A personalities among psoriasis patients, who often manifest themselves as competitive and time-pressed, always wanting to carry out all work and life with high efficiency and quality, and type A personality behavior pattern is a susceptible quality for psychosomatic diseases, and there are more combined coronary heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Most psoriasis patients have obvious psychological stress and varying degrees of mental tension before and after the onset of the disease.  The psychological suffering of psoriasis patients is often greater than the symptoms of their skin lesions. Many patients believe they are suffering from an incurable disease after their doctor has diagnosed them with psoriasis, and they become depressed, with aggravation of their condition and resistance to treatment. Studies have confirmed that the mental health level of psoriasis patients is significantly lower than that of normal people, mainly in terms of low self-esteem and autism, depression and anxiety. These adverse mental factors can cause changes in the limbic higher nerve centers of the brain, which may then regulate the inferior nervous and endocrine systems through the hypothalamus to affect immune function and further aggravate psoriasis. Relevant studies have noted that certain neuropeptides in the skin, especially sP, have an important role in the pathogenesis.  Psychological counseling of psoriasis patients to improve their negative emotions has a positive effect on the relief of their rashes. It is necessary to be patient-centered, to inspire and encourage patients to comprehend themselves with appropriate sympathetic language, to enhance their belief and courage to fight against the disease, to fully mobilize their therapeutic motivation, to promote the transformation of psychopathology itself, to reduce or eliminate symptoms, to achieve treatment and prevention, and to promote the purpose of psychological recovery.