People with alopecia areata prone to anxiety, depression

Patients with alopecia areata (AA) are more susceptible to both anxiety and depression, according to the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

In this study, a team of researchers analysed the existing literature to explore the relationship between AA, anxiety, and depression. They extracted studies from four databases, namely Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, and Web of Science.

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines were used to finalize the list of relevant articles to be included in this study. No restrictions were placed on the publication year or age of participants.

Eight studies including a total of 6,010 patients with AA and 20,961 control participants met the eligibility criteria for quantitative analysis. Of these, four were cross-sectional studies and four case-control. Meta-analysis revealed the association of AA with anxiety (pooled odds ratio [OR], 2.50, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.54‒4.06) and depression (pooled OR, 2.71, 95 percent CI, 1.52‒4.82).

“This study suggests that patients with AA are at higher risk of both anxiety and depression,” the researchers said. “Healthcare professionals must be cognizant of this higher risk and consider routine assessment of these conditions and referral to appropriate providers when indicated.”

This systematic review and meta-analysis was limited by publication bias.