Disturbed sleep quality and increased depression scores in alopecia areata patients

Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the hair follicle and sometimes the nails. Comorbidity between alopecia areata and psychiatric disorders is well known. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the clinical characteristics of AA and sleep quality and depression. This study included 52 patients above 18 years of age who admitted to the dermatology clinic and diagnosed as alopecia areata, and 51 healthy volunteers. Sociodemographic data form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were filled by the patients. Information about the severity of AA, the duration of the disease, the treatments they received, and comorbid illnesses were also recorded. The median BDI total score of the AA patients was higher than that of the control group. In AA patients, PSQI total score and most of the subscale scores were significantly higher than those of the control group. No difference could be found in BDI or PSQI scores according to the presence or absence of poor prognostic criteria. The results of our study support the long-standing relationship between AA and psychiatric disorders and indicate that sleep quality is impaired in addition to the increase in depression level. In particular, a more careful assessment of female AA patients and patients with comorbid atopic dermatitis is important in order not to miss comorbid psychiatric problems.