How do the fields of psychiatry and dermatology overlap?

Many studies confirm that a high percentage of dermatology patients have coexistent psychiatric morbidity. Our understanding of this phenomenon remains limited. We do know that the skin and nervous system have the same embryologic origin, and that tactile stimulation is critical for full neuropsychological development, but many questions remain. Recent biomedical advances have begun to take psychocutaneous disease out of the realm of speculation and myth.

As we examine shared symptom complexes and responses to pharmacologic intervention, many psychocutaneous disorders can now be thought of in terms of neurotransmitters and their receptors, with all the inherent implications for treatment. This does not negate a role for various modalities of psychotherapy. Instead, our deeper understanding of psychocutaneous disease can only lead to improved patient care.