Cognitive behavior therapy as dermatological treatment: a narrative review

Background: Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is efficacious in treating numerous psychological disorders. It is also effective in combination with medication for chronic pain, diabetes, and other diseases. Patients with skin disease report high levels of stress, anxiety, and negative feelings. Objective: To summarize the findings on the utility of CBT for the improvement of skin status and quality of life in patients with dermatological conditions. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant articles from database inception to the time of search (October 20, 2021). A total of 30 included studies featured 10 on psoriasis, 11 on atopic dermatitis, 4 on vitiligo, 4 on acne, and 1 study on alopecia areata. Results: Several studies, including randomized controlled trials with large study samples, support the effectiveness of CBT and Internet CBT for a number of dermatological conditions. Patients who completed CBT courses were less likely to rely on dermatological healthcare during follow-up. Limitations: There are a limited number of studies discussing the implementation of CBT for alopecia, acne, and vitiligo. Conclusion: Patients who underwent CBT or Internet CBT in addition to skin care demonstrated improvement with quality of life and severity of skin disease as compared to controls only receiving standard of care treatment.