Aim of the study:
The aim of this study was to evaluate levels of anxiety and depression in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), leading behavioral strategies for coping with stress and their correlation with the severity of dermatological symptoms in patients with AD, as well as the determination of psychotherapeutic targets for improving medical and mental health care for patients with AD.

Subject or material and methods:
56 patients with atopic dermatitis and 60 healthy individuals in the control group were examined using the Beck Depression Inventory scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory by C.D. Spielberger, The Coping Strategy Indicator by J.H. Amirkhan and projective technique the Sentence Completion Test. Dermatological assessment was performed using The SCORAD Index.

Results:
The AD patients significantly more often turned to “Avoidance strategy” rather than healthy subjects. Unlike healthy patients, those with AD used “Seeking social support” and “Problem solving” as coping techniques considerably less. Dermatosis severity positively correlated with the “Avoidance strategy”, state-trait anxiety scores and severity of depressive symptoms. Retrospective treatment success had a positive impact on reduction of depressive symptoms. Sacks and Levy’s method allowed to discover disturbance in relationships in patients with AD.

Discussion:
The AD patients displayed significant difficulties that require psychotherapeutic correction within relations with the opposite sex (36%), with father (29%), guilt (39%) and regrets of untapped opportunities (43%).

Conclusions:
The influence of AD on patients’ psychological state determines the necessity of psychological intervention including antianxiety therapy and correction of maladaptive behavioral strategies, as well as attitudes towards person’s relations with family, interpersonal communication and self-perception.