title: Age and gender correlates of pulling in pediatric trichotillomania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our goals were to examine clinical characteristics and age and gender correlates in pediatric trichotillomania.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 62 children (8-17 years of age) were recruited for a pediatric trichotillomania treatment trial and characterized using structured rating scales of symptoms of hairpulling and common comorbid conditions. We analyzed the association between qualitative and quantitative characteristics of pulling, comorbidities, and age and gender. We also examined the type of treatments these children previously received in the community.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found lower rates of comorbid depression and anxiety disorders than have been reported in adult trichotillomania samples. Focused hairpulling significantly increased with age, whereas automatic pulling remained constant. Older children with hairpulling experienced more frequent urges and a decreased ability to refrain from pulling. Female participants reported greater distress and impairment associated with hairpulling, even though the severity of pulling did not differ from that of male participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm several findings from the Children and Adolescent Trichotillomania Impact Project (CA-TIP). Our cross-sectional findings suggest there may be a developmental progress of symptoms in trichotillomania. Children appeared to develop more focused pulling, to become more aware of their urges, and to experience more frequent urges to pull, as they get older. Although these are important findings, they need to be confirmed in prospective longitudinal studies.
authors: Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors: Kaitlyn E
authors: KE
authors: Panza
authors: Christopher
authors: C
authors: Pittenger
authors: Michael H
authors: MH
authors: Bloch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*