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. At the same time the dermatosis severity positively correlated with the “Avoidance strategy”, state-trait anxiety scores and severity of depressive symptoms. In addition, disease duration had a considerable influence on the level of depression, and retrospective treatment success had a positive impact on reduction of depressive symptoms. The AD patients displayed significant difficulties within relations
with the opposite sex (36%), with father (29%), guilt (39%) and regrets of untapped opportunities (43%) that required psychotherapeutic correction.