Turkish
 
Home Page
Online Submission
Recent Issue
Archive
About
Instructions for Authors
Articles in Press
Editorial Board
Contact
  

Keyword

Title

Summary



   
Clinical Characteristics and Comorbidities of Patients with Trichotillomania and Skin Picking Disorder Who Admitted to a Psychodermatology Outpatient Clinic: A Comparative Study

Efruz PİRDOĞAN AYDIN, Jülide GÜLER KENAR, İlknur KIVANÇ ALTUNAY, Azra GÖKOVALI BEĞENEN, Yiğit KIVILCIM, Ömer Akil ÖZER, Kayıhan Oğuz KARAMUSTAFALIOĞLU
2021 32(2): 100-108
[Back]    [Full Text (PDF)]    [E-Mail to Author]
Objective: Trichotillomania (TTM) and Skin Picking Disorder (SPD)
are psychiatric disorders characterized by chronic and compulsive
pulling and picking to remove hair and skin. There are very few studies
on the clinical and phenomenological differences of TTM and SPD.
In this study we aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and
comorbidities of patients diagnosed with TTM and SPD.
Method: We enrolled 56 TTM and 113 SPD patients who were
assessed with SCID-I for DSM-IV. In addition, we evaluated the DSM-
5 criteria for Obsessive and Compulsive Disorder spectrum. We also
utilized sociodemographic form, the Clinical Global Impression Scale,
the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory.
Results: Although patients with TTM and SPD had many common
clinical features and comorbidities, statistically significant differences
were determined in the number of the pulling/picking sites (Z=-
7.084; p<0.001), the type of the outpatient clinics which they initially
consulted (χ2=19.451; p<0.001), reasons for pulling/picking behavior
(p<0.05) and comorbidities of depression (χ2=3.878; p=0.049) and
onychophagia (χ2=7.173; p=0.007). Disease severity and depression
and anxiety scores of patients with TTM and SPD who had comorbid
diseases were statistically significantly higher compared to the patients
without comorbidities (p<0.005).
Conclusion: TTM and SPD often present with common clinical
characteristics and a high incidence of psychiatric comorbidities. Finding
out the clinical characteristics, the triggering factors and determining
the comorbidities are important to gain an understanding of the course
and determine the appropriate treatment for these disorders. Hence,
phenomenological studies on large patient populations are needed.