Effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral stress management therapy on patients's quality of life with alopecia areata in Skin Disease and Leishmaniasis Research Centre of Isfahan

Researches showed that there is a relationship among alopecia areata, psychological factors and prevalence of psychological disorders. In addition alopecia areata has a great effect on the quality of life of these patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral stress management therapy on female patients`s the quality of life with alopecia areata. Methods and Materials: This is a case-control study with pre and post-test exam which is carried out in Isfahan Skin Disease and Leishmaniasis Research Centre. The participants consisted of 20 alopecia areata patients diagnosed by specialists. The questionnaire was Skindex-16 which was completed by patients before and after the intervention. Cognitive-behavioral stress management therapy was done on the case group in eight sessions over a period of two months. Data was analyzed with covariance (ANOVA). The mean of quality of life scores in experimental group in v.s control group significantly decreased (P<0.05). It seems, cognitive-behavioral stress management therapy couses in quality of life improvement in patients with alopecia areata.