The Role of Stress in Alopecia Areata and Comparison of Patients' Quality of Life with Androgenetic Alopecia and Healthy Controls

September 2012 in “ TURKDERM ”

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alopecia areata androgenetic alopecia emotional stress psychological stress neuroendocrinological studies Beck depression inventory Beck anxiety inventory

Studysummary In this study, alopecia areata patients reported higher anxiety, depression, and lower quality of life compared to those with androgenetic alopecia and healthy controls. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This study aimed to investigate the role of stressful life events in the onset and exacerbation of alopecia areata and to compare anxiety, depression, and quality of life levels in patients with alopecia areata to those with androgenetic alopecia and healthy controls. The study included 31 patients with alopecia areata, 46 patients with androgenetic alopecia, and 45 healthy individuals. The findings suggested that while emotional stress was not definitively shown to trigger alopecia areata, neuroendocrinological studies supported the potential impact of psychological stress on the disease process. The study utilized life events scales, Beck depression inventory, and Beck anxiety inventory to assess the participants.

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research Clinical Severity Does Not Reliably Predict Quality of Life in Women With Alopecia Areata, Telogen Effluvium, or Androgenic Alopecia

86 citations , May 2011 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that patients with alopecia perceive their hair loss as more severe than dermatologists do, and their own ratings of hair loss severity better reflect their quality of life impacts.

research Environmental Stress But Not Subjective Distress in Children or Adolescents With Alopecia Areata

43 citations , March 2011 in “Journal of psychosomatic research”

This study found that children with alopecia areata experienced more stressful life events and excreted higher levels of catecholamines compared to healthy siblings.

research Neuroendocrine Perspectives in Alopecia Areata: Does Stress Play a Role?

69 citations , May 2009 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This research highlights that psychological stress can adversely affect hair growth in mice, implicating potential pathways that may be relevant in understanding stress-induced hair growth inhibition in humans.

research Neuroimmunology of Stress: Skin Takes Center Stage

375 citations , July 2006 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This review discusses the brain-skin connection, the skin's role in stress response, and highlights unmet challenges in understanding stress-induced skin inflammation but reports no new experimental findings.

research The Pattern and Profile of Alopecia Areata in Singapore: A Study of 219 Asians

275 citations , November 2002 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that among an Asian population with alopecia areata, commonly first episodes occurred before age 40, with severe cases linked to psychological effects and treatments showing significant regrowth.

research The Psychosocial Consequences of Androgenetic Alopecia: A Review of the Research Literature

180 citations , September 1999 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This review discusses the psychological and social impacts of androgenetic alopecia and suggests that medical treatments can have some positive psychological effects, highlighting the condition's moderate stress and impact on body image.