Understanding Stigma in Visible Skin Diseases and the Call for Narrative Intervention in (Psycho)Dermatology

Lecture by Emily Newton-Tanzer, Dr.med.cand at the University Hospital of Munich (KUM) and Dr.phil.cand at the LMU Munich.

In dermatology, skin tells a story, consisting of both technical, arguably objective, as well as subjective narratives. The physician necessarily embraces a biomedical position when assessing patients, though their case history does not account for the reality of the patient’s lived experience. In fact, for the dermatological patient, the subjective experience is even heightened, given the visibility of their ailments. Therefore, to better understand and optimize diagnosis, treatment and pedagogic approaches for skin disease in both clinical and non-clinical settings, this lecture provides an overview of clinical studies in stigmatization alongside approaches in narrative medicine. It is our hope that through examining this work, we might elucidate methods to be utilized and implemented in future (interdisciplinary) research, while expanding on the developing field of (psycho)dermatology.