Stigma driving depression in alopecia patients, rather than illness severity

Alopecia areata is a complex autoimmune condition, where a person’s immune system mistakes their hair follicles as a foreign body and attacks them. It often starts with isolated patches of hair loss, commonly in one or more coin-sized (usually round or oval) patches on the scalp and/or across the body. In severe cases, it can progress to complete loss of scalp hair (alopecia totalis) or total body hair loss (alopecia universalis).

The Alopecia + Me study, led by King’s College London, has found that the impact on the quality of life on people with alopecia is determined by the negative perceptions and stigma associated with having this illness. The study surveyed 596 adults with alopecia areata and found that over 80% reported that they have symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Over 50% of study participants felt embarrassed about their condition and more than one-third of patients reported problems with their usual activities such as work, study, housework, family relationships or leisure activities. The research found that the stigma of having alopecia causes more depression and anxiety than the disease itself. Those with more positive perceptions of the disease had lower anxiety symptoms.

It is thought that over 2% of UK population will be affected at some point in their lives by the condition. Researchers emphasise that it is still often not taken seriously as a medical condition and treated as ‘cosmetic’. They hope that assessing patients’ illness perceptions and stigma in routine check-ups can enable health professionals to better understand the impact of the illness. Implementing appropriate interventions early can then help target negative perceptions and reduce stigma to help patients cope better.

The research team now aims to understand the real-life impact of alopecia on adolescent patients and their families via the global collaborative Alopecia + Us study and hopes for participants to come forward and contribute.

The full paper is available to read online here: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljaf189

Authors:

Christou E, Lalagianni N, McSweeney SM, et al.

Journal:

British Journal of Dermatology

Link:

https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljaf189