Untroubled pullers: An examination of nonclinical hair-pulling

Nonclinical hair-pulling is much more prevalent than hair pulling associated with a diagnosis of trichotillomania (TTM). However, little is known about nonclinical pulling. The purpose of this exploratory research was to begin characterizing a subset of nonclinical hair pullers we refer to as “untro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders 2023-07, Vol.38, p.100821, Article 100821
Main Authors: Flannery, Meghan K., Falkenstein, Martha J., Boyd, Megan, Haaga, David A.F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical significance
Diagnostic criteria
Nonclinical hair pulling
Trichotillomania
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Summary:Nonclinical hair-pulling is much more prevalent than hair pulling associated with a diagnosis of trichotillomania (TTM). However, little is known about nonclinical pulling. The purpose of this exploratory research was to begin characterizing a subset of nonclinical hair pullers we refer to as “untroubled pullers,” people who engage in recurrent, noncosmetic hair-pulling without associated distress or impairment. In a secondary analysis of two studies conducted online, untroubled pullers reported significantly lower symptom severity than did those diagnosed with TTM. The Big Five personality dimensions did not differentiate the groups in Study 1, but untroubled pullers endorsed significantly less disability, focused and automatic pulling, social anxiety, perceived risk in intimacy, and perfectionism in Study 2. These findings remained significant after controlling for symptom severity. Age and race resulted in mixed findings between the two studies, but no differences arose in other demographics. These findings suggest that symptom severity may not sufficiently explain differences in associated distress and impairment. Future studies are needed on how other constructs related to distress and impairment interact with hair-pulling behavior to provide insight into when pulling is associated with clinically significant distress or impairment. •Untroubled pullers lack distress or impairment needed to diagnose trichotillomania.•Untroubled pullers reported less severe symptoms than did a diagnosed sample.•Untroubled pullers were also less socially anxious and perfectionistic.
ISSN:2211-3649
2211-3657
DOI:10.1016/j.jocrd.2023.100821