Itch is one of the most frustrating and difficult-to-treat aspects of eczema. This chronic skin condition, also called atopic dermatitis, is characterized by inflammation, redness and dry and itchy skin. The itch-scratch cycle not only makes symptoms worse but also further weakens the skin barrier, complicating the healing process.
While there are plenty of highly rated skin-care products for eczema designed to repair and nourish the skin barrier, managing eczema itch often requires more than topical solutions. In fact, a new study published in JAMA Dermatology demonstrates how talk therapy can help a person cope with itching.
“Clinician-guided online self-help based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) proved to be an effective option for reducing symptoms and improving quality of life, while requiring fewer healthcare resources,” investigator Dorian Kern, a doctoral student at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said in a news release from the institute.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, often referred to as talk therapy, involves working with a mental health professional to identify and challenge negative thought patterns and behaviors. When applied to a condition like eczema, CBT encourages users to identify the consequences of scratching and create better responses to chronic itch. The goal is to meet the stimulus of chronic skin itch with a new response: reaching for a medication lotion or pain relief, rather than scratching.
This recent study confirms that short, self-guided CBT sessions online had a similar level of effectiveness as full therapist-led in-person sessions. That means that far fewer resources can produce these helpful results. Short online programs can easily fit into the lives of eczema patients and not needing an in-person therapist guide makes this critical therapy more accessible.
Alongside talk therapy, eczema treatments have also developed over the last two decades. Breakthroughs in addressing the inflammatory responses triggered by eczema have led to huge quality of life improvements in patients that could not find relief through traditional means.
