A generic quality of life instrument (e.g. the SF-36) provides information that is complementary to that derived from dermatological questionnaires, and may give further insight in the evaluation of the burden of psoriasis.

This study investigated the perspective of a stress system disorder in the pathogenesis of therapy-resistant periodontitis. The goal was to find indications that the stress-behaviour-immune system model holds as an explanatory model for the understanding of periodontal disease. 2 patient-groups were compared: one group classified as responding well to periodontal treatment (responsive-group, R-group, n=11); the other group was classified as responding less well to treatment (non-responsive-group, NR-group, n=11). Somatic and psychological factors were described as obtained by interviews and psychological testings. These findings were related to clinical data documented during the treatment of the patients. An exact logistic multivariate regression analysis was performed on a model based on variables selected by bivariate analysis (variable versus group). The results indicated that the NR-group patients displayed indications of more psychosocial strain and a more passive-dependent personality. The R-group patients displayed a more rigid personality and possibly a less stressful psychosocial situation in the past. The report highlights the possible contribution of stress factors in the context of therapy resistant periodontal disease, and the results seem to be understandable within the context of a stress system disorder perspective.

Impaired mental health has been associated with an increased need for dental care. Population surveys have indicated that people with enduring mental health problems make less frequent planned visits to the dentist and report a greater number of missing teeth than the general population. The study aims to examine oral health status, attendance to dental care, and medication in an outpatient psychiatric sample. A descriptive study combining a structured interview with a visual oral examination carried out in 113 outpatients under psychiatric care. Dental health was described in terms of sound, missing and/or filled teeth, and showed a relation between these categories and types of psychiatric diagnosis, age and numbers of antidepressant and neuroleptic drugs. Oral hygiene was found to be more neglected among men and in patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The need of dental treatment was widespread, although regular dental visits were commonly reported. In order to maintain good oral health, regular dental check-ups should be encouraged for patients under psychiatric care. Further studies are required to reveal contributory causes for/to decreased oral health. The difficulty such individuals have in maintaining additional self-efficacy raises questions about the necessity for oral health interventions in outpatient psychiatric services.