Perceived Stigma Among Adults With Alopecia Areata in the United States

Alopecia areata (AA) can significantly impact mental/emotional quality of life, which may be partially attributed to disease-related stigma. We assessed patient-reported stigma in US adults with AA using data collected from the 2023 US National Health and Wellness Survey. Demographics, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and perceived stigma were analyzed for patients with physician-diagnosed AA, stratified by self-reported disease severity. Data were weighted to match demographics of the US adult population. Of 75 007 (weighted n = 255.7 million) adults who completed the survey, 859 (weighted n = 2.9 million; 1.1%) self-reported physician-diagnosed AA. Among those reporting physician-diagnosed AA, 58.8%, 26.2%, and 15.0% self-reported mild, moderate, and severe AA, respectively. Overall, 40.1% reported experiencing symptoms of diagnosed emotional/mental health conditions in the past 12 months; 10.8% were receiving psychological counseling, and 10.8% were receiving medications for AA-related anxiety, depression, or sleep disorders. Internal or external stigma was reported by 79.2% of respondents. Adults with AA reported substantial emotional/mental health comorbidities, with few receiving counseling or therapeutic intervention. Dissatisfaction with their current hair growth was prevalent, and considerable stigma was reported across all levels of AA disease severity, highlighting the substantial impact of external perceptions of AA. Experiencing AA stigma may lead to social withdrawal and isolation, further exacerbating the psychosocial burden of AA.