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Impact of life events on the onset of vitiligo in adults: preliminary evidence for a psychological dimension in aetiology
Author(s) -
Vassilios Papadopoulos,
Bor,
Legg,
Hawk
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2230.1998.00384.x
Subject(s) - disfigurement , etiology , vitiligo , medicine , distress , psychological distress , disease , clinical psychology , psychiatry , psychology , dermatology , anxiety , surgery
The present study retrospectively examines the role of stressful life events in the onset of vitiligo in adults. A matched clinical sample of patients with other forms of disfigurement or skin disease (dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and naevi, not thought to be associated with stress) served as a control group. Newly diagnosed patients and matched controls were thus asked to complete the 12‐month version of the Schedule of Recent Experience, a questionnaire which measures the frequency and number of stressful life events occurring over a specified period. The results suggest that such patients endure a significantly higher number of stressful life events than do controls, suggesting that psychological distress may have contributed to the onset of their condition. The implications of the results are discussed and suggestions made for future research.