The Evaluation of Self - concept Scale in Cryotherapy of Patient with Warts

Kim, Sang Won; Kweon, Hyuk Jin; Jo, Hyun Chun

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although warts are known to be caused by viruses, one of their peculiarities is that they may be treated by suggestion therspy or hypnosis. This suggests that psychologic or emotional factors influence the hosts response to the virus lesions.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to analyze the role of psychologic factors in the therapeutic response of warts.
METHODS
The self-concept scale test(Korean Testing Center) was done in all 61 patients with common wsrts before the cryot.herapy from September 1991 to June 1993. Clinical follow-up data were obtained on 50 patients after 2 months, and then were evaluated usir g the self-eoncept scale in treated vs untreated group.
RESULTS
1. The overall cure rate was 56.0%, being higher in females and patients with high education, 1-3 in number of lesions and no previous treatment history as well as in those with less than 1 year of duration. 2. In the comparison of self-concept scale between treated(n=18) and untreated(n=22) groups, the treated group had remarksble results in moral ethical self, personal self and family self scores (p<0.05). Only 14 items were significantly different between two groups(p<0.05 by Wilcoxon rank sum test). 3. Patients of 20 years or more showed a high cure rate(67.79%, p<0.05 by t-test) and demonstrated significance in total positive self score and its self identity, and satisfaction, self behavior, physical self, moral ethical self and family self scores(p<0.05, by t-test).
CONCLUSION
The self-cancept significantly related to the positive aersonality, harmonious family, stable self-esteem and high normal ethics, may influence at least the therapy to the warts in the treated patients in contradistintion to the untreated ones.