Atopic dermatitis, attachment and partnership: a psychodermatological case-control study of adult patients.

Adult patients with atopic dermatitis were examined from a psychodermatological perspective with respect to attachment attitudes and satisfaction with partnerships. In addition, the correlation between these variables and skin symptoms, as well as the skin-specific quality of life, was also studied. A total of 62 adult patients with atopic dermatitis were compared with a parallel control group with healthy skin (n = 62). There were significant correlations between the patients' attachment characteristics on the one hand and the detriment to skin-specific quality of life on the other. In contrast, partnership satisfaction was not as severely impaired as expected; however, it showed significant correlations with attachment attitudes.