Type D personality and quality of life in alopecia areata and vitiligo patients: A cross-sectional study in a Turkish population

Background and Design: Vitiligo and alopecia areata (AA) can lead to stigma, shame, and embarrassment, and all of which can potentially result in social stress and poor quality of life (QoL). The incidence of Type D personality is higher in those with psychosomatic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of Type D personality in patients with vitiligo and AA in a Turkish population. Materials and Methods: This study prospectively enrolled 39 patients with AA, 46 patients with vitiligo, and 46 healthy individuals as controls. All the patients and healthy volunteers completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD), Type D Personality scale (DS-14), and Dermatology Life Quality index. Results: There was no significant difference in the frequency of Type D personality among the three groups. The mean negative affectivity scores of the AA and vitiligo groups were significantly higher than those of the healthy controls (p=0.001). The mean HAD-A scores of the AA and vitiligo groups were significantly higher than those of the healthy controls (p=0.002). Conclusion: Our results revealed a relationship between the DS-14 total score and QoL in patients with vitiligo, with a higher total score associated with poor QoL. On the other hand, we did not detect this relationship in patients with AA. Type D personality is associated with elevated levels of psychological distress; thus, it may be related to poor QoL in vitiligo patients. Although we found high rates of Type D personality in patients with AA or vitiligo, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of Type D personality in the patient populations compared with that in the healthy control group.