THE IMPORTANT role of psychic factors in chronic disseminated neurodermatitis is recognized widely. Elucidation of the precise nature and relationships of the factors involved, however, still is to be accomplished. As a step in this direction an exploratory study of patients with the disease has been carried out during the last three years.
Some of the observations already have been published.1 These data suggested that, while a psychologic structure common to all of the subjects with chronic disseminated neurodermatitis could not be determined, certain characteristics appeared to be significant, for example, a tendency to turn hostile or aggressive impulses inward, a propensity to bottle up emotions, and a strong concern with tactile sensations and touch.
The present report is concerned with comparing personality factors in patients with neurodermatitis and in neurotic patients as revealed through a series of psychologic tests. The aim of this phase of the