Sex differences in trichotillomania

Grant, Jon E., Redden, Sarah A., Leppink, Eric W., Chamberlain, Samuel R., Curley, Erin E., Tung, Esther S. and Keuthen, Nancy J. (2016) Sex differences in trichotillomania. Annals of clinical psychiatry : official journal of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists, 28 (2), 118-124.

Abstract

Background: trichotillomania (TTM) appears to be a fairly common disorder, yet little is known about sex differences in its clinical presentation. Long thought to be a primarily female disorder, males with TTM may have unique clinical presentations.

Methods: participants with TTM (N = 462) were examined on a variety of clinical measures including symptom severity, functioning, and psychiatric comorbidity. Clinical features were compared between males (n = 27) and females (n = 435).

Results: there were many similarities in the clinical presentations of males and females with TTM. Males with TTM, however, were more likely to pull from their face, arms, and torso, and were more likely to suffer from a co-occurring substance use disorder. Females were more likely to be younger and less likely to be married.

Conclusions: this study suggests that, although few males seek treatment for TTM, sex differences may be an important clinical factor when assessing and treating this disorder. Further research is needed to validate these findings and identify whether treatments should be tailored differently for males and females with TTM.

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Contributors

Author: Samuel R. Chamberlain

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