Photo Credit: Pijitra Phomkham

The following is a summary of “Postpartum hair loss is associated with anxiety,” published in the October 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology by Hirose et al.     

Postpartum hair loss is a common issue among women following childbirth, which may be linked to psychological symptoms like anxiety.  

Researchers conducted a prospective study investigating the relationship between postpartum hair loss and psychological symptoms.  

They performed a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study involving postpartum women who delivered at 2 facilities and completed the questionnaire 10-18 months after delivery. Participants provided information regarding baseline characteristics, pregnancy, delivery, childcare, and postpartum hair loss, while psychological symptoms were assessed using the Whooley Questions, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.  

The results showed 331 responses, women experiencing very much hair loss reported significantly higher anxiety levels than those with no postpartum hair loss, as indicated by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item anxiety subscale (OR: 4.47). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified primiparity, more significant postpartum hair loss, and higher Athens Insomnia Scale scores as predictors of anxiety on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item scale. The aOR for anxiety among women with significant postpartum hair loss was 4.58 (95%CI, 1.18–17.74) compared to those without postpartum hair loss.  

They concluded that a more significant amount of postpartum hair loss was independently associated with increased levels of postpartum anxiety.  

Source: obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jog.16130