Trichotillomania in childhood.

Full Abstract

Several aspects of trichotillomania in childhood are described and discussed. Case records of twenty-one children not older than 15 years of age, who were seen in the previous 5 years, were examined. The female/male ratio was 2.5:1 (fifteen girls and six boys); the age range was 2 to 15 years. Although trichotillomania may, at first sight, often impress as an apparently inexplicable persistent habit, further analysis shows that this symptom often develops in a climate of psychosocial stress in the family, e.g., hospitalizations of child or mother, the additional stress inherent in moving to a new house, or developmental problems such as sibling rivalry, inability to focus activities and play in the younger child, and school problems in the older child.

Author information

Author/s: Oranje, A P (AP); Peereboom-Wynia, J D (JD); De Raeymaecker, D M (DM);

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (J Am Acad Dermatol), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1986-Oct; vol 15 (issue 4 Pt 1) : pp 614-9

Dates: Created 1986/12/01; Completed 1986/12/01; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 3771840, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

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