Online cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce AD symptoms

Patients with atopic dermatitis who were treated with internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy had a significant reduction in symptoms, according to a study.

“Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory dermatologic disorder, affecting up to 10% of the general population,” Erik Hedman-Lagerlöf, PhD, of the department of clinical neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues wrote. “Patients with AD experience intense itching and chronic inflammation and are overrepresented with regard to numerous negative health outcomes, including depression and anxiety, suicidality and cardiovascular problems.”

The randomized clinical trial included 102 adults with AD who were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive internet-delivered exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and standard AD care or standard AD care only for 12 weeks. Follow-up was completed immediately after treatment and at 6 and 12 months.

Those in the CBT treatment group had a significant reduction of AD symptoms compared with the control group (B = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.14-0.49; z = 3.49; P < .001) after treatment, as measured by the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure.

“The baseline to 12-month follow-up within-group effect size was large, indicating that the treatment led to stable long-term improvement,” the authors wrote.

Significant reductions in itch intensity, perceived stress, sleep problems and depression were also recorded in the CBT group.

“Internet-delivered, exposure-based CBT can be feasible, acceptable and efficacious in the treatment of AD in adults,” the authors wrote. “This treatment can yield substantial improvements in AD symptoms, perceived stress, sleep problems and depressive symptoms while requiring minimal therapist resources.”