Institution: University of the West of England, Bristol

Lead researcher: Mehak Gandhi (PhD student), supervised by Dr Fabio Zucchelli

Type of alopecia: Alopecia areata (including totalis, universalis)

Project title: Developing a framework to facilitate effective, psychologically safe, equitable and inclusive peer support for individuals affected by alopecia areata 

What are the aims of the study? 

This PhD research study is being carried out by Mehak Gandhi at the Centre for Appearance Research, UWE Bristol. The study is funded by Alopecia UK.

The research is looking at people’s experiences of peer support while living with alopecia areata in the UK, including support groups, online groups, and private online chats or forums. The aim is to better understand what people find helpful, difficult, or missing from peer support, and how these spaces can be improved for people living with alopecia areata.

Mehak would really like to hear from people aged 16+ living in the UK who have experience of peer support through organisations such as Alopecia UK or Aderans UK. This includes people who:

• Attend or help run support groups (in-person or online)
• Use or moderate private online chats or forums

You do not need to have had a positive experience to take part. All experiences and perspectives are welcome and valued. By sharing your experiences, you could help improve peer support for others living with alopecia areata in the future.

Who can take part:

• Living with alopecia areata, including patchy hair loss, complete hair loss on the scalp only (alopecia totalis), or across the face, scalp and body (alopecia universalis) 
• Experience of engaging in peer support (groups or private online chats) provided by organisations such as Alopecia UK or Aderans UK
• Any gender
• From any background and ethnicity
• Aged 16+ 

What taking part involves: 

• Completing a short pre-screening questionnaire (link below)

If eligible, you will then be invited to: 

• Complete a short timeline-mapping activity
• Take part in an online one-to-one interview (around 40-60 minutes) or a small group discussion (around 90 minutes) on Microsoft Teams

You will receive a £20 shopping voucher as a thank you for your time. Taking part is completely voluntary, and anything shared will be kept private and confidential and will only be accessed by the research team.  

To ask any questions about the research, please email Mehak at: [email protected] 

To express interest in taking part, please complete this short pre-screening form: 

Pre-screening questionnaire