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Self-Stigma in Patients with Alopecia Areata
Self-stigmatization is common in patients with alopecia areata (AA), according to a poster presented at the 2023 AAD Annual Meeting.
Researchers aimed to explore the mediators of perceived stigmatization and determine the effects of social support, perceived helplessness, and disease acceptance on self-stigmatization in patients with AA by distributing a cross-sectional national survey via the National Alopecia Areata Foundation listserv. The survey assessed the stigmatization, illness cognitions, and social support subcategories of the Impact of Chronic Skin Disease on Daily Life instrument.
With a completion rate of 81.5%, 886 surveys were included in the study. Higher scores were indicative of increased self-stigma, social support, perceived helplessness, and illness acceptance. Eighty-five percent of participants indicated that they experience at least some level of stigmatization, with an average score for self-stigma of 10.6 out of 24; 14.56% of participants responded that they feel stigmatized across all assessed items. Less social support, more helplessness, and less illness acceptance were associated with increased stigmatization (P <.001, respectively). In addition, younger and employed participants noted higher levels of stigmatization.
Patients with AA reported increased perceived stigmatization and helplessness with decreased social support and illness acceptance, which points to self-stigma being a multifactorial experience. Dermatologists who recommend psychological support for their patients with AA can help lessen feelings of helplessness and improve illness acceptance.
“Improving psychosocial support for patients, such as local support groups and therapy, may lead to reduced self-stigmatization and reduce [the] burden of disease,” concluded the poster authors.
Reference
Drake L, Lee K, Li S, Mostaghimi A. Self-stigmatization among alopecia areata patients and the role of social support, helplessness, and illness acceptance. Poster presented at: AAD Annual Meeting; March 17–21, 2023; New Orleans, LA.
