• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.126-138
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• 1995

For investigating a disease specific psychological mechanism in various dermatological disorders, we tried to explore the difference in correlation among stress perception, locus of control as a coping strategy, depressive symptoms and pruritic symptoms in the patients with psychological pruritis and chronic urticaria. The subjects were composed of 32 patients with psychol-ogical pruritis and 67 patients with chronic urticaria(subject group), and 25 patients with organic pruritis and 59 patient with major depression(control group). Global assesment of recent stress scale(GARS), I-E locus of control scale, Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and medical college of wisconsin center pain follow up questionnaire were used for assesement. The results were as follows: 1) There were a significant positive correlation between stress perception and depressive symptom in patients with psychological pruritis, chronic urticaria, and major depression but not hi organic pruritis. 2) In relationship between locus of control and depressive symptom, patients with psychological pruritis, organic pruritis, and major depression except chronic ruticaria showed a significant negative correlation. 3) For intensity and pattern of pruritis, there were positive relations with depressive symptom and stress perception only in patients with chronic urticaria. Above results indicate that stress perception and locus of contorl may play a significant role in the formation of psychological and dermatological symptoms in psychological pruitis and chronic urticaria. But the mechanisms of these processes are different in either disorder.