Psychological approaches designed to reduce social anxiety could be used to help people who are having difficulty adjusting to disfiguring medical conditions.This is one of the conclusions drawn today in an article in The British Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Dr. Gerry Kent, Department of Psychology, Sheffield University, and Dr. Steve Keohane, Department of Dermatology, Portsmouth Hospital, surveyed 141 patients registered at a dermatology clinic with psoriasis.
Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire that included questions about the effects of psoriasis on their quality of life, social anxiety and previous experiences of acceptance or rejection from others.
The researchers found that the extent to which psoriasis was visible, e.g., on hands and face, was an important factor affecting the quality of life for patients who were also very socially anxious, but not for those whose social anxiety was low or moderate.
Drs. Kent and Keohane acknowledge the methodological issues of their study and the need for caution when generalizing results to all patients who have psoriasis.
But they suggest that psychological interventions and techniques already effective for social anxiety could be helpful with this patient group, particularly when the condition is more visible, not very responsive to medical treatment, and there is high anxiety about negative evaluation by others.
(Reference: Gerry Kent and Steve Keohane (2001) Social anxiety and disfigurement: The moderating effects of fear of negative evaluation and past experience. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 40 (1), 23-34.)
23-Mar-2001
