Psychosocial Comorbidities in Patients With Pediatric Alopecia Areata: A Literature Review
May 2024
in “
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
”
New to Alopecia Areata? There is a guide in the encyclopedia. Read the guide → Studysummary According to this systematic review, children with alopecia areata experience significant psychosocial impacts, including anxiety, depression, and lower self-esteem, which are exacerbated by increased disease severity and affect quality of life, academic performance, and social interactions. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
This literature review highlights the significant psychosocial impact of alopecia areata (AA) on children, revealing strong associations with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which worsen with increased disease severity. These comorbidities adversely affect children's quality of life, self-esteem, academic performance, peer relationships, and body image satisfaction. The review underscores the importance of early identification and intervention by healthcare professionals, including dermatologists, psychiatrists, and therapists, to address these issues. It calls for future research to develop effective screening tools for early detection of psychosocial comorbidities in paediatric AA patients, aiming to enhance their overall wellbeing.
