Adjunctive Group Psychotherapy for Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: A Pilot Feasibility Study Comparing Two Interventions
Adjunctive Group Psychotherapy for Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: A Pilot Feasibility Study Comparing Two Interventions
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by eczematous skin lesions and pruritus. This partially randomized, three-arm pilot feasibility study was designed to evaluate two adjunctive group psychotherapy interventions in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis receiving standard dermatological care.
Participants were assigned to one of three study arms: treatment as usual alone, treatment as usual plus atopic dermatitis-specific cognitive behavioural and schema mode group therapy, or treatment as usual plus stress management and resilience group therapy.
The psychotherapy interventions consisted of weekly group sessions during a 14-week intervention period. Assessments were scheduled at baseline, post-intervention at week 14, and six-month follow-up. Disease severity was assessed using the Eczema Area and Severity Index and SCORing Atopic Dermatitis.
This was a partially randomized, three-arm pilot feasibility study conducted in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. The study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of delivering two adjunctive group psychotherapy interventions in addition to standard dermatological care and to collect prespecified clinical, psychological, and feasibility-related outcomes.
Participants were recruited from an outpatient dermatology service. Eligible participants were adults with atopic dermatitis and baseline disease severity consistent with moderate-to-severe disease. All participants received treatment as usual, consisting of standard dermatological care according to clinical indication.
Participants were assigned to one of three study arms: treatment as usual alone; treatment as usual plus atopic dermatitis-specific cognitive behavioural and schema mode group therapy; or treatment as usual plus stress management and resilience group therapy. Participants allocated to the two psychotherapy arms were randomized between the two active group interventions. Assignment to the treatment-as-usual-only arm was non-randomized. The study was not blinded.
Both psychotherapy interventions consisted of 14 weekly group sessions. The atopic dermatitis-specific cognitive behavioural and schema mode group therapy intervention addressed disease-related psychological and behavioural processes, including itch-related coping, scratching behaviour, emotion regulation, stigma-related experiences, and schema mode work relevant to chronic skin disease. The stress management and resilience group therapy intervention addressed stress management, emotion regulation, interpersonal functioning, coping skills, and resilience.
Assessments were scheduled at baseline, post-intervention at week 14, and six-month follow-up. Disease severity was assessed using the Eczema Area and Severity Index and SCORing Atopic Dermatitis. Additional psychological and feasibility-related measures were collected as specified in the outcome measure section of the record.
The study was conducted with written informed consent from participants and approval from the relevant ethics committee.
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