Anxiety, depression and low self-esteem among people with alopecia

Main Article Content

Gati Ara
Waqar Tunio
Noor Imran Khan
Abeel Tariq
Tamjeed Jamshed

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To assess the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms among individuals with alopecia and to assess the self-esteem levels of alopecia patients in a hair restorative treatment center of Karachi, Pakistan.


METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 84 consecutive patients of Alopecia by conducting interviews. Sample size was calculated using the prevalence rate of alopecia of 2% at confidence level of 95% and precision of 3%. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) which was used to quantify depression and anxiety, and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) was used for self- esteem levels. Scores were calculated. Test of correlation and Chi square test were applied.


RESULTS: Median (inter-quartile range) HADS score for Anxiety and Depression in 84 study participants was 11 (7-14) and 11 (8-14) respectively. Regarding depression and depression, 52.4% (n=44) and 53.6% (n=45) fell into the abnormal category (score 11-21) respectively.  For self-esteem, 48.8% (n=41) had low self-esteem (score 0-14). Positive correlation was found between age of participants and their self- esteem score (p- value =0.001). The older participants achieved higher scores. There was an inverse relation between age at onset of alopecia and self-esteem score (p-value= 0.03). People with early onset of Alopecia had lower self-esteem scores. There was no significant difference between male and females and the anxiety, depression and self-esteem levels.


CONCLUSION: Our study reveals significant prevalence of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem among alopecia patients seeking hair restoration, highlighting the urgent need for targeted psychological interventions.

Article Details

How to Cite
Ara, Gati, et al. “Anxiety, Depression and Low Self-Esteem Among People With Alopecia”. KHYBER MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL, vol. 15, no. 3, Sept. 2023, pp. 161-6, doi:10.35845/kmuj.2023.22653.
Section
Original Articles

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