Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41667183›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

Developing recommendations for promoting wellbeing in individuals with alopecia areata: a modified Delphi study.

Fabio Zucchelli, Kerry Montgomery

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Fabio ZucchelliUniversity of the West of England, Bristol, UK fabio.zucchelli@uwe.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2813-8015
Kerry MontgomeryCentre for Appearance Research, UWE Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesDevelop recommendations for multidisciplinary, multisector care providers involved in supporting individuals with alopecia areata (AA) to promote their well-being of these individuals. AA is a condition that causes hair loss on the scalp and, for some, the head or whole body and is associated with difficulties in psychosocial adjustment.

designA modified Delphi consensus study with three rounds: round 1 was a qualitative survey to generate recommendations; round 2 involved a rating survey to work towards consensus on important items to retain and round 3 asked panellists from four different support roles to establish the most relevant items for their respective roles.

settingThe UK, across healthcare, charitable and private health and mental health sectors.

participantsPanellists held two forms of expertise. One group consisted of experts in support roles, comprising medical professionals (general practitioners and dermatologists), mental health professionals, peer facilitators and trichologists. All were selected due to their experience of working with individuals who have AA. The other group consisted of experts by experience, namely adults living with AA who had some experience of receiving support from the above care providers. 48 panellists contributed to round 1 (22 experts by support role, 29 experts by experience and 3 with dual roles), 46 to round 2 (21 experts by support role, 27 experts by experience and 3 with dual roles) and 23 experts by support role completed round 3. DATA ANALYSIS: In round 1, data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. In round 2, panellists rated the importance of all recommendation items on a single 1-5 scale. Consensus was determined by ≥80% agreement between panellists that items were moderately or very important.

resultsMultiple candidate recommendations were generated from round 1, and following round 2, all but one were retained in the list presented in round 3. Items rated as relevant to all care providers in round 3 included 'Validate (and explore) the emotional impact of AA', 'Respect and work with individuals' chosen coping strategies (where no clear harm is caused)' and 'There should be a holistic, multi-support-role and multisector approach to psychological support'. There was notable overlap in the recommendation principles generated across each support role, but the details of how these can be delivered by each group differed. There were also a number of unique recommendations for each support role.

conclusionsMedical professionals, mental health professionals, trichologists and peer support facilitators can each play a role in promoting the psychological well-being of individuals with AA. The distinct roles and skill sets of each group point to the need for a multidisciplinary approach to supporting the well-being of affected individuals.

Indexed as

Alopecia AreataAdultConsensusDelphi TechniqueFemaleHumansMalePsychological Well-BeingQualitative ResearchUnited KingdomDelphi TechniqueDERMATOLOGYProtocols & guidelinesPsychological Stress

Identifiers

PMID41667183
PMCPMC12911720

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