A clinical comparison of pathologic skin picking and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
BACKGROUND
It has been hypothesized that pathologic skin picking (PSP) shares many of the same biological and phenomenological characteristics as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study sought to examine the clinical similarities between PSP and OCD.


METHODS
Demographic and clinical characteristic data were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of 53 PSP (mean age, 34.2 +/- 13.1 years; 86.8% female) and 51 OCD (mean age, 36.5 +/- 11.7 years; 35.3% female) subjects. Psychiatric comorbidity and family history data were also obtained.


RESULTS
The PSP subjects were more likely to be female (P < .001), report higher rates of co-occurring compulsive nail biting (P < .001), and have a first-degree relative with a grooming disorder (P < .001). The OCD subjects spent significantly more time on their thoughts and behaviors (P < .001) and were more likely to have co-occurring body dysmorphic disorder (P = .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Although PSP and OCD share some clinical similarities, important differences exist and cast doubt on the conceptualization of PSP as simply a variant of OCD.
Grant
Jon E
JE
Department of Psychiatry, Ambulatory Research Center, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. grant045@umn.edu
Odlaug
Brian L
BL
Kim
Suck Won
SW
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009259:Nail Biting; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric