P6.63 The HaLo Project 2: A Proposed Group Psychological Intervention for Women with Hair Loss

Francesca E. Collins, Sebastiana Biondo

Behavioural Studies, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Caulfield, Australia

Objectives: A group psychological intervention is proposed for the treatment of psychological problems associated with female Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) and to improve medical treatment compliance.

Methods: The research literature regarding the impact of AGA on women’s quality of life, psychological functioning and treatment compliance was reviewed. The literature review was supplemented by data arising from an investigation of the AGA-related experiences of 130 Australian women.

Results: The literature clearly shows that women experience much greater distress in relation to their hair loss than do men. Furthermore, recent research shows that AGA affected women experience greater difficulties with interpersonal relationships, body image, self-esteem, psychological well-being and quality of life than do unaffected women. The development of psychological interventions designed to address these problems is recommended.

Conclusions: A structured psychological intervention for the treatment of the psychological impact of female hair loss, a need explicitly stated in the literature and expressed by AGA affected women, has been developed. The eight week program is based upon cognitive-behavioural therapy principles, shown to be effective in the treatment of body image disturbances.  The effectiveness of the intervention as an adjunct to the medical treatment of AGA will be evaluated with relation to affected women’s quality of life, psychological well-being and treatment compliance.