Psychological and social aspects of skin care

This section seeks to explore the issues around the psychological and social impacts of skin disease. Often these two concepts get grouped together and psychosocial issues are discussed with no distinction being made. This is a tempting approach as there are many overlaps; however, here they will be considered as two sides of the same coin. The psychological aspect refers to issues related to the mind, about how the individual copes with their surroundings and experiences. The social aspect is about how the individual interacts with other people and how they feel to be part of human society.

The interplay between the skin and the mind and individuals and their communities, is not in any way a new concept. Indeed, the nursing literature has made mention of it years before more scientific work examined the nature of the relationship between the brain and the skin. In an attempt to understand this relationship, this section will look at the pathophysiological changes that affect both the brain and the skin in what has become known as the brain–skin axis. Once these are understood, it is then helpful to gain some insight into the coping mechanisms that people employ to enable them to live with chronic skin conditions. At the same time, it is important to bear in mind that some people struggle to cope and as such, the section will look at some nursing interventions that can improve mental well-being and the ability to cope with adverse health experiences.

Mention will be made of mental illness, however, the focus of the section is on promoting mental health well-being and knowing when to refer on if a mental disorder is suspected.

The section starts with consideration of the social impacts of skin disease and particularly the social pressure that individuals with skin disorders experience on a day-to-day basis.