Exploring and Comparing the Psychosocial Impacts of Vitiligo on a Broader Scale: An International Survey via the Use of Social Media

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitiligo is associated with substantial psychosocial burden; however, community-based patient-reported data remain limited, and existing instruments may not fully reflect patients' lived experience. This study explored the psychosocial impacts of vitiligo using social media-based recruitment. METHODS: Adults (≥ 18 years) with physician-confirmed or self-reported vitiligo were recruited via Facebook support groups between December 2023 and February 2024 to complete an anonymous online survey. Quantitative data included demographics and the 15-item VitiQoL questionnaire. Qualitative responses addressing challenges, management, and barriers to care were analysed inductively, with emergent themes integrated with quantitative findings. Descriptive statistics and exploratory independent-samples t-tests were performed. RESULTS: A total of 181 participants responded, predominantly female (81.8%), and mainly from the UK (53.59%) and Australia (29.83%). Qualitative analysis identified stigmatisation and sun exposure as prominent challenges. Head and neck involvement was associated with poorer QoL, including altered grooming behaviours (3.78, SD 2.12, p < 0.001), clothing adaptations (4.42, SD 1.96, p < 0.001), difficulties forming new friendships (2.21, SD 2.01, p < 0.001), and limitations in daily activities (2.93, SD 2.15, p < 0.001). Males reported greater emotional impact (M = 4.27, SD 1.91, p = 0.014) and more difficulty forming friendships (M = 2.85, SD 2.09, p = 0.004) than female participants. CONCLUSION: Vitiligo is associated with significant psychosocial challenges, particularly stigma-related distress, behavioural adaptations, and participation restrictions. These findings highlight the importance of addressing psychosocial wellbeing in clinical care, and the need for comprehensive QoL measures that better capture psychosocial and participation-related impacts.