Mental Health in Visible Skin Disorders: Assessing Anxiety and Depression in vitiligo and alopecia areata patients compared to Healthy Peers

Alopecia areata is characterized by non-scarring scalp complete terminal hair loss, and vitiligo is characterized by skin pigment loss. Alopecia and vitiligo are distinct, heterogeneous, and complex diseases, in most cases resistance to treatment. The current study aimed to evaluate and compare the Anxiety and Depression levels within patients who were diagnosed with Vitiligo and Alopecia-areata against the control group of healthy individuals. A total of 150 participants were recruited: 50 with vitiligo, 50 with alopecia areata, and 50 healthy controls. Patients who visited the outpatient dermatology clinic at Medical Centre at Al-Beyda City from January to December 2023 have been included in this Study. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to evaluate ''Depression and Anxiety''. The findings showed that elevated anxiety and despair scores in both patient groups relative to the healthy control group (p < 0.001). However, current results showed that no significant difference was observed between the vitiligo and alopecia areata groups (p > 0.05). These findings highlight the psychological burden associated with chronic dermatological conditions and emphasize the need for integrated mental health support in dermatological care