An epidemiological study of trichotillomania in Israeli adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of trichotillomania and comorbid psychopathology in nonreferred adolescents.


METHODS
Using a questionnaire and interview, 794 Israeli 17-year-olds were screened for current and past hair-pulling and comorbid psychopathology.


RESULTS
Eight current or past hair-pullers (5 male, 3 female) were identified, yielding a lifetime prevalence of hair-pulling of 1%. Four subjects reported current hair-pulling (point prevalence of 0.5%). None of these reported alopecia, distress, or tension before pulling; only two reported relief after pulling. Thus, none met the full DSM-III-R criteria for trichotillomania. Four subjects reported past but not current hair-pulling, with bald spots in two cases. Three of the four current hair-pullers had significant obsessive-compulsive symptoms, a significantly elevated rate compared to the entire screened population. Two subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder also had generalized anxiety disorder and, in one case, chronic simple vocal tics. Hair-pullers did not differ significantly from non-hair-pullers in IQ, physical fitness, and overall competency, or prevalence of other comorbid disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
In a community adolescent sample, only 25% of hair-pullers reported resulting bare spots and none endorsed both rising tension and subsequent relief. The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms was significantly elevated in these nonreferred hair-pullers.
King
R A
RA
Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-7900, USA.
Zohar
A H
AH
Ratzoni
G
G
Binder
M
M
Kron
S
S
Dycian
A
A
Cohen
D J
DJ
Pauls
D L
DL
Apter
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*