Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a skin disease characterized by the sudden appearance of areas of hair loss on the scalp and other hair-bearing areas, but its aesthetic repercussions can lead to profound changes in patient's psychological status and relationships.
Aim: The goal was to investigate a possible relationship between AA and alexithymia as well as two other emotional dimensions, anxiety and depression.
Materials And Methods: Fifty patients with AA seen in the Department of Dermatology of Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax were included in this study. Anxiety and depression were evaluated by Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale questionnaire, alexithymia was assessed by Toronto Alexithymia scale 20, and severity of AA was measured by Severity of Alopecia Tool.
Results: Patient's mean age was 32.92 years. 52% of patients were females. Depression and anxiety were detected respectively in 38% and 62% of patients. There was statistically significant difference between patients and control group in terms of depression (P = 0.047) and anxiety (P = 0.005). Forty-two percent of patients scored positive for alexithymia. No significant difference was found between patient and control groups (P = 0.683) in terms of alexithymia. Anxiety was responsible for 14.7% of variation in alexithymia (P = 0.047).
Conclusions: Our study shows a high prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in AA patients. Dermatologists should be aware of the psychological impact of AA, especially as current treatments have limited effectiveness.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103292 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.135525 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Psychometric properties and post-hoc CAT analysis of the pediatric PROMIS® item banks anxiety and depressive symptoms in a combined Swedish Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and School sample.
Qual Life Res
January 2025
Department of Clinical Science, Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Umeå University, 90185, Umeå, Sweden.
Purpose: The objective of this study is to assess the psychometric properties and reliability of the Swedish Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item banks for anxiety and depressive symptoms with item response theory analysis and post-hoc computerized adaptive testing in a combined Swedish Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) and school sample.
Methods: Participants (n = 928, age 12-20) were recruited from junior and high schools and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinics in the region of Västerbotten. Unidimensionality, local independence, and monotonicity was tested.
Effect of Botulinum toxin on non-motor symptoms in adult-onset idiopathic focal/segmental dystonia.
Neurol Sci
January 2025
Department of Neurology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
Background: Non-motor symptoms, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, pain and cognitive dysfunction, are a much more important predictor of quality of life than the severity of dystonia.
Objectives: To assess the effect of Botulinum toxin on non-motor symptoms and quality of life in patients with adult-onset idiopathic focal dystonia.
Methods: Patients aged > 18 years diagnosed with idiopathic focal dystonia were recruited in this longitudinal cohort study.
Psychological burden in patients with sellar masses under conservative and surgical management.
Neurosurg Rev
January 2025
Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
The aim of this study was to investigate the level of distress and the quality of life of operated and non-operated patients with pituitary tumors. Patients who presented to a neurosurgical center and two endocrinological services for outpatient follow-up after surgical treatment, as well as those under medical therapy or radiological follow-up without treatment, were invited to participate in the study. Sociodemographic, health-related quality of life and clinical data were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProblematic online dating app use and its association with mental and sexual health outcomes in a sample of Men-having-Sex-with-Men.
J Behav Addict
January 2025
1Experimental Pharmacopsychology and Psychological Addiction Research, Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Background And Aims: Online dating applications (ODAs) are gaining popularity, raising concerns about their potential addictive effects on users' health. The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between problematic ODA use and mental health, substance use, and sexual behavior outcomes in men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM). To achieve this, we first validated a German version of the Problematic ODA Use Scale (PODAUS), which assesses problematic ODA usage patterns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncreased default mode network activation in depression and social anxiety during upward social comparison.
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci
January 2025
Center for Basic Research in Psychology (CIBPsi), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Social comparisons are a core feature of human life. Theories posit that social comparisons play a critical role in depression and social anxiety triggering negative evaluations about the self, as well as negative emotions. We investigated the neural basis of social comparisons in participants with depression and/or social anxiety (MD-SA, n=56) and healthy controls (n=47) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!