Experiencing Workplace Bullying in Patients with Alopecia Areata: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

INTRODUCTION

Alopecia areata (AA) is an immune-mediated hair loss condition with substantial psychosocial impact. The impact of AA on social interactions at work has not been established.

METHODS

We administered the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised Scale to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation database to evaluate workplace bullying in patients with AA.

RESULTS

Ultimately, 673/1,120 individuals who met inclusion criteria completed the survey. Most respondents were female ( = 537, 79.8%), Caucasian ( = 508, 75.5%), with an average age of 46.8 ± 14, and employed full-time ( = 427, 63.4%). Our results demonstrate 21.7% ( = 146) of respondents experienced workplace bullying. Participants most frequently faced having their opinions ignored (53.8%, = 362), being excluded (47.7%, = 321), and having gossip spread about them (44.0%, = 296). Notably, 75.0% ( = 120/160) of individuals who self-reported bullying addressed the behavior; however, 30.8% of participants noted the bully continued (30.8%, = 37). Stress associated with filing a complaint (43.5%, = 293) and effect on future career options (36.1%, = 243) were common barriers to report bullying.

CONCLUSION

This study expands our understanding of the psychosocial impact of AA by confirming individuals with AA experience workplace bullying. Stigma against patients may play a role in this phenomenon. Future work is warranted to identify strategies to reduce bullying against patients with AA.