Dermatology Online Journal

A Psychometric Study of Patients with Nail Dystrophies
Murad Alam MD, Meena Moossavi MD, Iona Ginsburg MD, Richard K. Scher MD
Dermatology Online Journal 7(1): 23A

Departments of Dermatology and Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York

---

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine which types of psychologic distress may be correlated with dystrophic disease of the nail in non-psychiatric patients.

Methods

57 adult subjects presenting for treatment of nail dystrophies completed a survey instrument, which included five psychometric measures.

Results

On average, patients rated the severity of their nail dystrophy and functional deficit higher (7.40/10 and 6.00) than investigators (6.15 and 3.75). Compared to age- and sex-matched non-psychiatric patients, subjects in the study were moderately more anxious and minimally to mildly more depressed.. Subjects had moderately depressed total self-concept, but their body image was approximately normal. Overall, subjects exhibited markedly more severe psychologic symptoms (84th percentile) than the normal sample, with the scores on the psychoticism, obsessive-compulsive, and paranoid ideation subscales being the most elevated.

Conclusions

The subjects with nail dystrophy had markedly exacerbated psychological symptoms compared to age- and sex-matched non-psychiatric patients.

© 2001 Dermatology Online Journal