Awareness, Beliefs, and Psychological Impact of Patients with Alopecia Areata in Saudi Arabia: A Multi-Center Study.

Purpose: Alopecia Areata (AA) is a complex autoimmune condition characterized by long-term inflammatory non-scarring patches of hair loss on the face, scalp, and body. Its development involves a combination of genetic, immunological, and environmental factors, making it challenging to understand and treat. This study aims to assess the awareness, beliefs, and psychological impact of patients with Alopecia Areata.

Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Eastern and Central provinces of Saudi Arabia and utilized online questionnaires to evaluate knowledge, beliefs, and psychological effects of patients with Alopecia Areata. These questionnaires were distributed using social media platforms.

Results: This study enrolled 248 patients with Alopecia Areata (AA), of whom 38.7% were aged 31-40 years and 55.2% were males. The majority were Saudis (98.4%), married (54%), and residing in the Central Region (60.1%). Nearly half (48.8%) were employed in non-medical fields, and 30.6% were vocational school graduates. Healthcare providers were the main source of AA information (52.8%), with most patients aware of AA's seriousness, curability, and quality of life impact, though many had low knowledge and experienced negative psychological effects such as shyness, anxiety, and depression.

Conclusion: Despite low self-rated knowledge, most patients recognized AA as serious and requiring treatment. Psychological well-being was heavily impacted by AA severity, quality of life, disease duration, and treatment efficacy. Although many patients showed improved AA status and good medication compliance, adverse psychological effects persisted, highlighting the need for larger studies to better understand and address these issues.