Risk profile in patients with foot ulcers – a bio-psycho-social model

Objective: To examine psycho-somatic and psycho-social differences – especially mental disorders, self-compassion and self-harm behaviors – in patients with and without foot ulcers. Research design and methods: 154 patients of the Department of Internal Medicine were divided into two homogenous groups (n=47). The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess mental disorders according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric disorders, 4th edition. Different questionnaires were used to measure self-compassion, self-harm behaviors, quality of life and depressive symptoms. Finally bloo…