Psychosomatic and psychiatric disorders and psychologic factors in pruritus

Abstract

Chronic pruritus (CP) is a bothersome symptom of many different diseases and is often associated with psychosomatic and psychiatric comorbidity. This review gives an overview of psychologic factors that influence the perception and modulation of pruritus based on the well-known biopsychosocial model. Not only psychic comorbidities, such as anxiety and depression, play an important role in the etiology and perception of pruritus, but also internal factors, including personality, mentalization, suggestibility, and external factors, as well as stress. Expectations concerning the intensity of pruritus can also play a role in itch perception that can be modulated by cognitions and behavior of the patient. Obsessive rituals of scratching and skin manipulation with instruments present challenges in the treatment of CP. Initial studies on the efficacy of psychotherapeutic approaches to different problems, such as scratching, comorbidity, or stress-associated itch, show that these might be very useful additions to the multidisciplinary treatment of pruritus.