%0 Journal Article
%T The Role of Stress in Alopecia Areata and Comparison of Life Quality of Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia and Healthy Controls
%A Sava£¿ Yayl£¿
%A Ahmet Tiryaki
%A Sibel Do£¿an
%A Baykal £¿skender
%J Turkderm
%D 2012
%I Galenos Yayincilik
%X Background and Design: Although alopecia areata is not yet clearly shown to be triggered by emotional stress, neuroendocrinologic studies supports that psychological stress may be effective in the disease process. In this study we aimed to show the role of stressful life events in onset and exacerbation of alopecia areata and the levels of anxiety, depression and quality of life by the comparison with the patients with androgenetic alopecia and healthy controls.Materials and Methods: Thirty-one consecutive patients with alopecia areata (13 females, 18 males, mean age 28.1¡À8.9) were included in this study. Forty-six patients with androgenetic alopecia (24 females, 22 males, mean age 28.2¡À7.4) and 45 healthy individuals (25 females, 20 males, mean age 25.4¡À4.4) was created as the two control groups. The patients and the control groups completed the tests including life events scale, Beck depression inventory, Beck anxiety inventory and Skindex-29 scales.Results: Total scores of the scale of life events in patients with alopecia areata were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p=0.031). There were also significant differences in the sub-units -distress and adaptation- scores of this scale (p=0.028; p=0.036). The scores of Beck depression inventory were significantly higher than control group (p=0.014), however they were identical to the patients¡¯ with androgenetic alopecia. The scores of Beck anxiety inventory of all three groups showed no significant difference (p=0,207). The quality of life in patients with alopecia areata which is evaluated with Skindex-29 is severely impaired according to the scores of all three sub-units of this test -symptomatic, functional, and emotional- (p=0.001; p<0.0005; p<0.0005).Conclusion: Stressful life events seems effective at onset or exacerbation of the disease in patients with alopecia areata. There is an increase in depressive symptoms in patients with alopecia areata. Morever, the quality of life of the patients are profoundly affected.
%K Alopecia areata
%K androgenetic alopecia
%K stress
%K quality of life
%U http://www.journalagent.com/z4/download_fulltext.asp?pdir=turkderm&plng=eng&un=TURKDERM-79653