title: Characteristics and phenomenology of hair-pulling: an exploration of subtypes.
abstract: This study was designed to detail the demographic and phenomenological features of adult chronic hair-pullers. Key possible subtypes were identified a priori. On the basis of the phenomenological data, differences between the following possible subtypes were investigated: hair-pullers with and without DSM-IV trichotillomania (TTM), oral habits, automatic versus focused hair-pulling, positive versus negative affective cues prior to hair-pulling, comorbid self-injurious habits, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and tics. Forty-seven participants were drawn from an outpatient population of chronic adult hair-pullers. A structured interview that focused on hair-pulling and associated behaviors was administered to participants. Six of the participants (12.8%) were male, and 41 (87.7%) were female. A large number of hair-pullers (63.8%) had comorbid self-injurious habits. A greater proportion of male hair-pullers had comorbid tics when compared with females. Certain subgroups of chronic hair-pullers (e.g., hairpullers with or without automatic/focused hair-pulling, comorbid self-injurious habits, and oral habits) were found to differ on a number of phenomenological and hair-pulling characteristics. However, differences between other possible subgroups (e.g., hair-pullers with or without DSM-IV TTM, comorbid OCD, and negative versus positive affective cues) may reflect greater severity in hair-pulling symptomatology rather than distinct subtypes of chronic hair-pulling. The findings of the present study also indicated that chronic hair-pulling (even in cases where DSM-IV criteria for TTM were not met) has a significant impact on quality of life. The present study provided limited support for the existence of possible subtypes of chronic hair-pulling. Recommendations are made for further investigations into such subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Unit on Anxiety and Stress Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: du Toit
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Kradenburg
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Niehaus
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D003463:Cues; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*