Are behavioral interventions a better choice for atopic dermatitis patients? A meta-analysis of 6 randomized controlled trials.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD) has been the focus of clinical research, and behavioral intervention is considered an indispensable treatment method. To our knowledge, no relevant meta-analysis has evaluated the effects of behavioral interventions on atopic dermatitis. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of behavioral interventions on atopic dermatitis. METHODS: The authors searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL to retrieve relevant RCTs (up to Feb 2022). The search strategy involved a combination of related keywords. The Cochrane Q and I2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. RESULTS: Six RCTs involving seven reports with 246 patients were included. The results suggested that behavioral interventions could relieve eczema severity (correlation coefficient [r = -0.39]; p < 0.001) and scratching severity significantly (r = -0.19; p = 0.017), while not affect itching intensity (r = -0.02; p = 0.840). A sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results. STUDY LIMITATIONS: An important limitation of this study was the insufficient number of RCTs and the limited sample size. In addition, the study lacked a control group receiving a type of intervention other than the experimental protocol. Another limitation was the short duration of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that behavioral interventions could be effective in treating atopic dermatitis by reducing eczema and scratching severity. Additionally, habit-reversal behavioral therapy may be more effective for treating atopic dermatitis.