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Background: It has often been suggested that stress might trigger vitiligo. However, only one study supported this hypothesis, and no study explored the role of other personality or social factors. Methods: Out-patients experiencing a recent onset or exacerbation of vitiligo (n = 31) were compared with out-patients with skin conditions in which psychosomatic factors are commonly were regarded as negligible (n = 116). Stressful events during the last 12 months were assessed with Paykel’s Interview for Recent Life Events. Attachment style, alexithymia and social support were assessed with the ‘Experiences in Close Relationships’ questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Results: Cases and controls did not differ regarding the total number of events and the number of undesirable, uncontrollable or major events. Three …