Appearance anxiety and loneliness: the mediating role of rejection sensitivity in patients with alopecia areata in Lahore Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association involving appearance anxiety, rejection sensitivity and loneliness in patients with alopecia areata.

METHODS

The correlational study was conducted from February to September 2020 at public-sector and private-sector hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised alopecia areata patients of either gender aged 20-40 years. Data was collected using the Appearance Anxiety Inventory, the Appearance-based Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire and the University of California-Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. Data was analysed using SPSS 23.

RESULTS

Of the 240 patients, 120(50%) each were males and females. The overall mean age was 28.39±3.87 years. Appearance anxiety and rejection sensitivity were positive predictors of loneliness (p<0.000), while rejection sensitivity was positively significantly mediated between appearance anxiety and loneliness (p<0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

The association involving appearance anxiety, rejection sensitivity and loneliness was found to be significant.