Psychocutaneous drug therapy

Many patients with skin disorders have psychosocial issues associated with their chief complaints. New psychotropic agents with superior side effect profiles have become available to allow nonpsychiatric physicians to manage psychiatric patients safely with psychotropic agents that are effective, simple to administer, and well tolerated. Dermatologists who wish to help their patients with psychodermatologic conditions can greatly enhance their therapeutic armamentarium by becoming familiar with the use of a few selected psychotropic agents. This article reviews the current status and future directions of psychopharmacology for the 4 major types of psychopathologies encountered in a dermatology practice (depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and delusional disorder) with the intent of guiding dermatologists in the choice of a psychotropic agent for patients with psychological component to their skin disorder. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.