Photo courtesy of Pijitra Fomcam
The following is a summary of “Postpartum hair loss is associated with anxiety” by Hirose et al., published in the October 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Postpartum hair loss is a common problem among women after giving birth and may be associated with psychological symptoms such as anxiety.
Researchers conducted a prospective study to investigate the relationship between postpartum hair loss and psychiatric symptoms.
They conducted a survey-based cross-sectional study of postpartum women who gave birth at two facilities and completed a questionnaire 10 to 18 months after giving birth. Participants provided information on baseline characteristics, pregnancy, childbirth, parenting, and postpartum hair loss, and psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Fourie Questions, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
The results showed that women experiencing significantly more hair loss than women without postpartum hair loss, as indicated by the two-item anxiety subscale of generalized anxiety disorder (OR: 4.47), received 331 responses. reported significantly higher anxiety levels. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified first birth, more pronounced postpartum hair loss, and higher Athens Insomnia Scale scores as predictors of anxiety on a two-item scale of generalized anxiety disorder. The aOR for anxiety in women with significant postpartum hair loss was 4.58 (95%CI, 1.18 to 17.74) compared to women without postpartum hair loss.
They concluded that greater amounts of postpartum hair loss were independently associated with increased levels of postpartum anxiety.
Source: obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jog.16130
