Frequency of Depression and Anxiety Disorders in Patients Suffering from Alopecia Areata

Some of the skin diseases cause severe stress in patients and relieving these stresses greatly helps to treat the underlying disease. Alopecia areata is one of the common causes of alopecia which is an autoimmune disease. Other factors like genetics and psychological factors have important roles in the beginning or exacerbation of the disease. This study aimed to determine the frequency of depression and anxiety disorders in patient suffering from alopecia areata. In this descriptive study, 80 patients with alopecia areata who had referred to dermatologic clinic of Shohaday-e Ashayer hospital in Khorramabad from 1382 to 1383(Hj.) were evaluated. After filling the questionnaires, the patients were referred to the Psychiatric Clinic and the cases were diagnosed by interviews using SCL-90 test and DSM-IV-IIIR scale. The analysis of data was done by the SPSS software. 80 patients were selected as the subjects of the study. including 52 men (65%) and 28 women (35%). 43 patients (53.8%) were less than 25 years old and 54 (67.5%) were unmarried. 56 patients (70%) had a family history of alopecia areata and 45 (56.25%) had no history of drug intake. In most of the patients (63.8%) the site of the first lesion was the scalp. Out of 80 patients, 64 (80%) had anxiety and 60 (75%) had depression. 27 (33.3%) had major depressive disorders. These findings were statistically significant. Major depressive disorders were more in women. No correlation was found between education, marital status, family history, and the history of drug intake, and the site of first lesion. The frequencies of depression and anxiety disorders in patients with alopecia areata were significant and higher than the general population. In other studies, frequency of psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, phobia, mood disorders and psychotic disorders were also higher than the general population. Actually, it was not exactly clear whether the patients initially had depressive disorders or later on secondary to alopecia areata had developed these disorders. To know more on this subject more studies are required.