Trichotillomania in youth: a retrospective case series.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of the naturalistic treatment of youth with Trichotillomania (TTM) in an anxiety disorders clinic sample.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review was conducted on 11 treated patients between the ages of 6 and 17, with DSM-IV TTM.


RESULTS
Ten patients were initially treated with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI), whereas one patient was initially treated with an antipsychotic. Three of the 10 patients who started with an SRI had a response (Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale (CGI-I)>or=2) in TTM symptoms. Nine patients of the 11 patients were treated with an antipsychotic medication (in 8 patients the antipsychotic was added after an initial trial with an SRI, in 1 patient the antipsychotic was the first line agent), 2 patients remained on an SRI; 8/9 were responders to antipsychotic treatment and 2 patients remitted (complete cessation of hair pulling). Adverse events to the SRI or antipsychotic were experienced by 7/11 patients but did not lead to treatment discontinuation.


CONCLUSIONS
This retrospective case series suggests that youth with TTM maybe responsive to pharmacological interventions with SRIs and/or antipsychotic agents, although the response seemed to be more robust with antipsychotics. These preliminary findings will need to be replicated in a larger scale controlled design.
Mancini
Catherine
C
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.
Van Ameringen
Michael
M
Patterson
Beth
B
Simpson
William
W
Truong
Christine
C
D000293:Adolescent; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors