Trichotillomania and skin-picking: a phenomenological comparison.

Full Abstract

Although trichotillomania and pathological skin-picking are both characterized by repetitive self-injurious stereotypic behaviors, the former is classified as an impulse control disorder, while the latter is not given a specific diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) [APA, 1994]. There are, however, few empirical data on phenomenological similarities and differences between these disorders. Patients with trichotillomania and pathological skin-picking were compared in terms of several demographic (age, gender), clinical (comorbid axis I and II disorders), and personality variables. Trichotillomania and pathological skin-picking were very similar in demographics, psychiatric comorbidity, and personality dimensions. Dissociative symptoms may be more common in trichotillomania than in pathological skin-picking. These data support the concept of phenomenological overlap between trichotillomania and pathological skin-picking. Future work to assess the implications of overlap for clinical evaluation and intervention in the two conditions may be useful. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Author information

Author/s: Lochner, Christine (C); Simeon, Daphne (D); Niehaus, Dana J H (DJ); Stein, Dan J (DJ);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Stress and Anxiety Disorder, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa. cl2(-atsign-)gerga.sun.ac.za

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Depression and anxiety (Depress Anxiety), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-; vol 15 (issue 2) : pp 83-6

Dates: Created 2002/03/13; Completed 2002/05/28; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 11891999, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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