TABLE 3.

Triggers of itchiness in patients with psoriasis

Category	Results	Quotes
Climate	Dry	“The itchiness? He might get it sometimes, like in the winter, part of that dry winter itch thing.” FG5 FM1 93–94*
	Hot	“I do not know if it’s the blankets, the sheets, or what it is; it gets hot and is worse.” IT1 P 53–54
Self-care	Showers	“Yeah, I couldn't shower at night. I'd have to do it in the morning because, if I did it at night, my skin would dry out and I'd be up all night scratching.” FG2 P1 162–163
	Decreased self-care	“You really need to dress warm and always put lotion on, multiple times a day […] If I do not take care of [my skin], it gets very itchy.” IT3 P 28–29
	Chemicals (fragrance, products)	“If you use any kind of fragrance, it will make [the itch] worse.” IT4 P 46
Lifestyle/activities	Sweat	“I don't itch now, but when I did […] like, after you sweat or whatever you're doing, when your skin gets dry, then you itch really bad." FG1 P1 273–275
	Exercise	“It is more itchy throughout the day if I start sweating […] or like if you are going out to exercise or something, it is more itchy to me.” IT4 P 40–42
	Clothing fabrics	“I usually wear cotton […] but I think the nylons probably do a little bit of [the itchiness].” FG1 P1 292–293
Mental/behavioral	Stress	“I feel like, when I’m stressed, I feel much more itchy.” FG3 P3 160
	Self-induced via the itch-scratch cycle	“When he needs to scratch, he will start bleeding, and he will say, ‘Oh, that’s better.’ And, within minutes, he is trying to scratch it even more while he is bleeding, and it itches so bad.” FG4 FM1 214–215

FG: focus group; FM: family member; P: participant with psoriasis; IT: interview

^*Study nomenclature: Interview type, person speaking, transcript lines.