title: Experiential avoidance as a mediator of relationships between cognitions and hair-pulling severity.
abstract: Cognitive-behavioral models suggest that certain cognitions and beliefs are functionally related to hair pulling in persons with trichotillomania (TTM), but little empirical data have been collected to test such claims. This study assessed dysfunctional beliefs about appearance, shameful cognitions, and fear of negative evaluation and their relation to hair-pulling severity in a sample of individuals self-reporting a diagnosis of TTM. Results showed significant correlations between these cognitions and hair-pulling severity; however, relations diminished or disappeared when controlling for experiential avoidance, a tendency to avoid or escape from unwanted private events. These findings suggest that treatments targeting cognitions may benefit from focusing on experiential avoidance more broadly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Norberg
authors.forename: Chad T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wetterneck
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Conelea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003469:Culture; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*