Experience of remission in skin disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The experience of remission in skin disease
IRAS ID
305600
Contact name
Daniella Allard
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
This research addresses the question: What is the experience of remission from skin disease (SD)? This is of relevance to dermatology patients as existing studies have focused on the psychological impact of active SD (e.g. depression, anxiety, social withdrawal) but paid little attention to remission.
Many SDs are chronic and intermittent (e.g. psoriasis, eczema), meaning those affected will have unpredictable periods of flare up followed by total or partial skin clearance. Data from quantitative biologic trials suggests that the psychological impacts of SD may not decline proportionately as skin heals. However, skin improvement remains the key metric for discharging patients from services, despite the fact that significant, related psychological symptoms may remain.
This research is therefore important in exploring individual experiences of SD remission, beyond the severity of skin symptoms (e.g. size of eczema patches). A potential benefit of this study is patient-led insight into a neglected phase of the SD cycle, which may inform clinical decisions about discharge and psychological referral.
Those who have been discharged from the Royal Free Psychodermatology service in the last five years will be eligible to participate. 6-8 participants will take part in an audio-recorded, one-to-one, semi-structured interview, either via Zoom or at the Royal Free (depending on preference).
This will be a qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to prioritise participant experiences. It will last approximately two years. The research is not anticipated to accrue any costs aside from participant travel to in-person interviews. Any costs will be covered by the researcher. There is no external funding for this project.REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0904
Date of REC Opinion
1 Feb 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion