The Effect of Cognitive- Behavioral Stress Management Therapy on Depression and Anxiety of Females with Alopecia Areata

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Abstract

Introduction: Prevalence of psychological disorders in patients with skin disorders was confirmed in various researches. Alopecia areata is a kind of chronic loss of hair. The purpose of this study was to consider the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral stress management therapy on the anxiety and depression of female patients with alopecia areata.
Method: This research was an experimental study including pre-test, post-test and control group which has been carried out in Isfahan Skin Disease and Leishmaniasis Research Centre. The sample consisted of 24 alopecia areata patients diagnosed by specialists. The questionnaire was consisted of the anxiety and depression subscales of SCL-90-R which were completed by subjects before and after intervention. Cognitive-behavioral stress management therapy was carried out on the experimental group in 8 sessions over a period of two months. The data were analyzed using covariance analysis.
Results: The results of this research showed that the means of anxiety and depression in experimental group has reduced significantly in comparison with the control group.
Conclusion: According to the research findings, cognitive-behavioral stress management therapy is effective in decreasing anxiety and depression in patients with alopecia areata.

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