Citation

Zucker N, Von Holle A, Thornton LM, Strober M, Plotnicov K, Klump KL, Brandt H, Crawford S, Crow S, Fichter MM, Halmi KA, Johnson C, Kaplan AS, Keel P, LaVia M, Mitchell JE, Rotondo A, Woodside DB, Berrettini WH, Kaye WH, Bulik CM. J. Clin. Psychol. (Hoboken) 2011; 67(4): 391-403.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jclp.20770

PMID

21365638

PMCID

PMC3664303

Abstract

We studied the relation between intrusive and repetitive hair pulling, the defining feature of trichotillomania, and compulsive and impulsive features in 1,453 individuals with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. We conducted a series of regression models examining the relative influence of compulsive features associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder, compulsive features associated with eating disorders, trait features related to harm avoidance, perfectionism, and novelty seeking, and self harm. A final model with a reduced sample (n = 928) examined the additional contribution of impulsive attributes. One of 20 individuals endorsed hair pulling. Evidence of a positive association with endorsement of compulsive behavior of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum emerged. Hair pulling may be more consonant with ritualistic compulsions than impulsive urges in those with eating disorders.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Adult; Female; Male; Middle Aged; North America; Adolescent; Young Adult; Comorbidity; Interviews as Topic; Europe; Trichotillomania; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Compulsive Behavior; Multicenter Studies as Topic