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Eczema and the mind-skin connection – free webinar

Thank you to everyone who attended our webinar on 14 September! We hope you found it helpful. If you didn’t attend, you can watch a recording of the webinar here.

Here is a list of the resources that were referred to in Dr Rukshana Ali’s talk:

Resources for children and adolescents:

Resources for adults:

More information on habit reversal can be found on this page. The book that was mentioned was The Eczema Solution by Sue Armstrong-Brown.

If you are interested in taking part in the Mind and Skin Project, please contact Dr Shona Cameron: Shona.Cameron@gstt.nhs.uk

Link to the Eczema SLEEP questionnaire for parents

Link to the Eczema SLEEP questionnaire for children and adolescents

Eczema and the mind-skin connection webinar

We’re delighted to be joining forces once again with St John’s DermAcademy to bring you a webinar during National Eczema Week 2023 with a focus on mental health and eczema. This webinar will cover the interface between mental health and eczema, how living with eczema can affect mood and how and where to access support. You will also hear an overview of the Mind-Skin project and the results of National Eczema Society’s Impact of Eczema survey – plus have the opportunity to ask questions!

The webinar will be livestreamed via Facebook and the recording will remain available to watch afterwards. To able to participate in the webinar, however, you would need to register in advance and join on Zoom.

Programme

6.00 Welcome and overview of the evening by Professor Carsten Flohr

6.05 ‘How eczema affects our emotional well-being’ by Dr Rukshana Ali

It is well known that eczema can impact on depression and anxiety. This talk will focus on the interface between mental health and eczema, how living with eczema can affect mood and how and where to access support.

6.25 ‘The Mind-Skin Project’ by Professor Carsten Flohr

The King’s College London ‘Mind & Skin’ programme led by Prof. Carsten Flohr examines the links between skin inflammation, itching, sleep and body clock disruption and potential inflammation in the brain. This includes detailed sleep studies and functional brain MRI testing, bringing together a team of dermatologists, sleep medicine, body clock and brain imaging experts as well as psychiatrists who specialise in the links between body and brain inflammation.

YouTube video

Professor Flohr talking about eczema and its impact on mental health and sleep disturbance in children.

6.30 Andrew Proctor, Chief Executive of National Eczema Society, will present the results of National Eczema Society’s Impact of Eczema survey.

6.35 Panel discussion/Q&A

7.00 Close

Webinar speakers

Dr Rukshana Ali

Dr Rukshana Ali
Clinical Psychologist, St John’s Institute of Dermatology and Evelina Children’s Hospital
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Rukshana Ali is the Clinical Psychologist within the Paediatric Dermatology team at the St John’s Institute of Dermatology. She is also a lead Clinical Psychologist within the Evelina Children’s Hospital trauma service. Dr Ali has 20 years of clinical experience and qualified with her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) from Royal Holloway, University of London. Dr Ali holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and is trained in several other therapy models.

Dr Ali sits on the Executive Committee for Psychodermatology UK. She is part of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Dermatology (BSPAD) Psychology Taskforce, developing guidelines around mental health monitoring and support for children and young people. Dr Ali works jointly with Dr Susannah Baron in leading the award winning Paediatric Psychodermatology service. Dr Ali has contributed to research, publications and conference presentations around the role of psychology and psychological wellbeing in dermatology.

Prof. Carsten Flohr

Professor Carsten Flohr
St. John’s Institute of Dermatology
Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London

Professor Flohr holds the Chair in Dermatology and Population Health Science at St John’s Institute of Dermatology, King’s College London, and is Head of Paediatric and Population-Based Dermatology Research.

Carsten Flohr studied at Cambridge and Oxford Universities and then trained in both paediatrics and dermatology.

He was the first UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinician Scientist in Dermatology (2009-2014) and the first dermatologist to be awarded a Career Development Fellowship from the NIHR (2014-2019).

He has a particular interest in novel methods of atopic dermatitis (AD) prevention (early life risk factors), how AD links in with food allergies and therapeutics, especially in severe AD.

He is Chief Investigator of the UK-Irish TREatment of severe eczema in children Trial (TREAT), which compares cyclosporine with methotrexate in children with recalcitrant atopic eczema. He is also Chief Investigator of the Softened water for eczema prevention trial (SOFTER) and the UK-Irish Atopic Eczema Systemic Therapy Register (A-STAR), as well as the EU-funded BIOMAP and Trans-Foods consortia.

Prof Flohr is a Founding Director of the International Eczema Council and Past President of the British Society of Paediatric Dermatology, as well as an Honorary Member of the Société Française de Dermatologie.

He is Co-Lead of the European (EuroGuiDerm/European Dermatology Forum) management guidelines for atopic dermatitis, Founding Editor of the Evidence-Based Dermatology Section of the British Journal of Dermatology and the Clinical Trials Editor of the F1000 Atopic Dermatitis Section.

Andrew Proctor
Chief Executive of National Eczema Society

Andrew Proctor

Andrew joined National Eczema Society as Chief Executive in March 2018. He has worked in the voluntary sector for over 15 years, including spells with Asthma UK, Alzheimer’s Society and Action Medical Research. He believes passionately in people having the right information and advice to make informed choices about their health, and in supporting people to self-manage their health conditions effectively. Andrew has a particular interest in digital, which he sees as playing an increasingly important role in healthcare and in helping National Eczema Society reach more people affected by eczema. He is inspired by the Society’s many members, donors, partners and other stakeholders who work so hard to improve the quality of life for people with eczema.

Other panellists

The other webinar panellists will be Dr Susannah Baron, Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Naomi Kemp, GP and Dr Mark Turner, Clinical Psychologist.