Alopecia Areata: Impact on Patients’ Quality of Life and Disease Perception: A Survey-Based Study

Alopecia areata significantly impacts patients’ emotional and psychosocial well-being. This survey investigated patients’ perspectives on disease severity and its impact on quality of life. The study evaluated whether disease assessment tools (Severity of Alopecia Tool, Dermatology Life Quality Inde...

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Main Authors: Christian Vestergaard, Daniel de la Rosa Carrillo, Randeep Mandla, Anne Grete Frøstrup, Susanne T. Gren, Petri Vänni, Anna-Kaisa Asikainen, Kristian Kofoed, Cato Mørk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Medical Journals Sweden 2025-07-01
Series:Acta Dermato-Venereologica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actadv/article/view/43318
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author Christian Vestergaard
Daniel de la Rosa Carrillo
Randeep Mandla
Anne Grete Frøstrup
Susanne T. Gren
Petri Vänni
Anna-Kaisa Asikainen
Kristian Kofoed
Cato Mørk
author_facet Christian Vestergaard
Daniel de la Rosa Carrillo
Randeep Mandla
Anne Grete Frøstrup
Susanne T. Gren
Petri Vänni
Anna-Kaisa Asikainen
Kristian Kofoed
Cato Mørk
author_sort Christian Vestergaard
collection DOAJ
description Alopecia areata significantly impacts patients’ emotional and psychosocial well-being. This survey investigated patients’ perspectives on disease severity and its impact on quality of life. The study evaluated whether disease assessment tools (Severity of Alopecia Tool, Dermatology Life Quality Index, and Patient Unique Stigmatization Holistic tool in dermatology) reflect patients’ perceptions of their condition. The study was conducted as an anonymous social media survey in Norway and Denmark. The questionnaire was divided into 3 main sections: (i) demographics and disease characteristics; (ii) disease severity and QoL measures; and (iii) patient perception and psychosocial impact. A total of 360 individuals participated in the survey reporting alopecia areata as mild (15%), moderate (29%), or severe (58%). Some 61% reported alopecia areata to interfere with their daily or weekly activities. All disease assessment tools demonstrated an age-dependent pattern, where scores were highest in the youngest (< 30 years) responder group. The relationship between Dermatology Life Quality Index and Severity of Alopecia Tool scores was found to be weak (R-squared = 0.08). Similarly, the correlation between Dermatology Life Quality Index and self-reported disease severity was also weak (R-squared = 0.136). This study demonstrates that there is a clear need for the development of more comprehensive, validated, and patient-centred assessment tools that can accurately reflect the physical, emotional, psychological, and social challenges faced by individuals with alopecia areata.
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series Acta Dermato-Venereologica
spelling doaj-art-c02c2ff82c384a1bbefe8e719b44ddae2025-08-20T03:51:25ZengMedical Journals SwedenActa Dermato-Venereologica0001-55551651-20572025-07-0110510.2340/actadv.v105.43318Alopecia Areata: Impact on Patients’ Quality of Life and Disease Perception: A Survey-Based StudyChristian Vestergaard0Daniel de la Rosa Carrillo1Randeep Mandla2Anne Grete Frøstrup3Susanne T. Gren4Petri Vänni5Anna-Kaisa Asikainen6Kristian Kofoed7Cato Mørk8Department of Dermatology, Aarhus University hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkVolvat Medical Centre, Oslo, NorwayPfizer AS, Oslo, NorwayPfizer Denmark, Ballerup, DenmarkPfizer Denmark, Ballerup, DenmarkNordic Healthcare Group, Espoo, FinlandNordic Healthcare Group, Espoo, FinlandRoedovre Skin Clinic, Copenhagen, DenmarkAkershus Dermatology Centre, Lørenskog, NorwayAlopecia areata significantly impacts patients’ emotional and psychosocial well-being. This survey investigated patients’ perspectives on disease severity and its impact on quality of life. The study evaluated whether disease assessment tools (Severity of Alopecia Tool, Dermatology Life Quality Index, and Patient Unique Stigmatization Holistic tool in dermatology) reflect patients’ perceptions of their condition. The study was conducted as an anonymous social media survey in Norway and Denmark. The questionnaire was divided into 3 main sections: (i) demographics and disease characteristics; (ii) disease severity and QoL measures; and (iii) patient perception and psychosocial impact. A total of 360 individuals participated in the survey reporting alopecia areata as mild (15%), moderate (29%), or severe (58%). Some 61% reported alopecia areata to interfere with their daily or weekly activities. All disease assessment tools demonstrated an age-dependent pattern, where scores were highest in the youngest (< 30 years) responder group. The relationship between Dermatology Life Quality Index and Severity of Alopecia Tool scores was found to be weak (R-squared = 0.08). Similarly, the correlation between Dermatology Life Quality Index and self-reported disease severity was also weak (R-squared = 0.136). This study demonstrates that there is a clear need for the development of more comprehensive, validated, and patient-centred assessment tools that can accurately reflect the physical, emotional, psychological, and social challenges faced by individuals with alopecia areata. https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actadv/article/view/43318Alopecia areatameasurement toolsHRQoLDermatologyHair, Impact on daily life
spellingShingle Christian Vestergaard
Daniel de la Rosa Carrillo
Randeep Mandla
Anne Grete Frøstrup
Susanne T. Gren
Petri Vänni
Anna-Kaisa Asikainen
Kristian Kofoed
Cato Mørk
Alopecia Areata: Impact on Patients’ Quality of Life and Disease Perception: A Survey-Based Study
Acta Dermato-Venereologica
Alopecia areata
measurement tools
HRQoL
Dermatology
Hair, Impact on daily life
title Alopecia Areata: Impact on Patients’ Quality of Life and Disease Perception: A Survey-Based Study
title_full Alopecia Areata: Impact on Patients’ Quality of Life and Disease Perception: A Survey-Based Study
title_fullStr Alopecia Areata: Impact on Patients’ Quality of Life and Disease Perception: A Survey-Based Study
title_full_unstemmed Alopecia Areata: Impact on Patients’ Quality of Life and Disease Perception: A Survey-Based Study
title_short Alopecia Areata: Impact on Patients’ Quality of Life and Disease Perception: A Survey-Based Study
title_sort alopecia areata impact on patients quality of life and disease perception a survey based study
topic Alopecia areata
measurement tools
HRQoL
Dermatology
Hair, Impact on daily life
url https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actadv/article/view/43318
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