Strategies of coping and quality of life in women with alopecia.

BACKGROUND: Measurements of the quality of life (QoL) have recently become an integral part of dermatological studies. Our hypothesis is that QoL in patients with certain diseases can be affected by strategies of coping behaviour, as well as by personality traits.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the particular correlation between QoL and strategies of coping in female patients with alopecia.

PATIENTS: Fifty female patients, diagnosed with either diffuse or androgenetic alopecia, were evaluated by the use of Hairdex, an instrument developed to measure QoL in patients with hair loss. Most patients also underwent additional psychological assessments.

RESULTS: Findings indicated that patients with highly visible hair loss reported a more negative impact on four Hairdex dimensions (functioning, emotions, self-confidence and stigmatization) than patients whose hair loss was only slightly visible. However, a subgroup of patients, with non-visible symptoms of hair loss, showed striking signs of psychological disturbance. These disturbed patients displayed either dysmorphophobic or affective disorder tendencies.

CONCLUSIONS: Future studies using QoL as an instrument in research on patients with alopecia should consider that in cases of female alopecia these measurements may be affected by psychological disturbances.