A clinical comparison of pathologic skin picking and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

It has been hypothesized that pathologic skin picking (PSP) shares many of the same biological and phenomenological characteristics as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study sought to examine the clinical similarities between PSP and OCD.

METHOD:

Demographic and clinical characteristic data were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of 53 PSP (mean age, 34.2 +/- 13.1 years; 86.8% female) and 51 OCD (mean age, 36.5 +/- 11.7 years; 35.3% female) subjects. Psychiatric comorbidity and family history data were also obtained.

RESULTS:

The PSP subjects were more likely to be female (P < .001), report higher rates of co-occurring compulsive nail biting (P < .001), and have a first-degree relative with a grooming disorder (P < .001). The OCD subjects spent significantly more time on their thoughts and behaviors (P < .001) and were more likely to have co-occurring body dysmorphic disorder (P = .001).

CONCLUSION:

Although PSP and OCD share some clinical similarities, important differences exist and cast doubt on the conceptualization of PSP as simply a variant of OCD.

• Authors: Jon E Grant, Brian L Odlaug, Suck Won Kim
• Journal: Comprehensive psychiatry (Compr Psychiatry) 2010 Jul-Aug Vol. 51 Issue 4 Pg. 347-52 ISSN: 1532-8384 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20579505 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adult
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Comorbidity
• Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders (epidemiology, psychology)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nail Biting
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (epidemiology, psychology)
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Sex Factors
• Statistics, Nonparametric