A paediatric multidisciplinary psychodermatology service, the paediatric complex clinic, was established at St John’s Institute of Dermatology, at St Thomas’ Hospital, in 2018 by Dr Susannah Baron, Consultant Dermatologist.

 

This service has expanded with the addition of our Paediatric Clinical Psychologist Dr Rukshana Ali, and we now accept secondary and tertiary referrals for primary and secondary pscychodermatological concerns in children.

 

In this monthly clinic children are assessed together with their parent/carer jointly with the Consultant Dermatologist and Clinical Pscyhologist, the child then has an individual consultation with the psychologist and the consultation is completed with an individualised management plan. Our team works closely with a Paediatric Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Benjamin Baig, who joins for joint consultations or sees children for more in-depth psychiatric evaluation and ongoing management. Children have one to one psychology sessions with Dr Ali if needed/ appropriate.

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We see children with:

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1. Compulsive skin picking

2. Compulsive hair pulling (trichotillomania)

3. Medically unexplained skin symptoms

4. Psychological symptoms eg. depression and anxiety associated with/exacerbated by skin disease

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Within the adult service at St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s Hospital adults with skin disease are assessed for associated psychological distress and can be seen for individual psychological therapy or sign-posted to appropriate local care. This team is led by Dr Mark Turner, Clinical Psychologist.

 

Paediatric Psychodermatology team

• Dr Susannah Baron Consultant Dermatologist, St John’s Institute of Dermatology and clinical academic Kings College London

• Dr Rukshana Ali, Paediatric Clinical Psychologist St John’s Institute of Dermatology

• Dr Benjamin Baig, Consultant liason child and adolescent Psychiatrist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Clinical Lecturer at Kings College London

 

Adult team

Dr Mark Turner, Clinical Psychologist St John’s Institute of Dermatology.