Trichotillomania- trichotillohabitus is a worth-while proposal through dermatopsychiatric study

ABSTRACT

In this study, careful clinical and psychological analysis was done for nineteen cases of trichotillomania collected along a period of four years. Duration of the disease ranged from 0.9 to 240 months. Most of lesions were found on the frontoparietal region. Ten of the cases were living in bad housing environments. Divorced parents were found in four cases. Overt psychiatric diseases was detectable in four cases, one of them only required special psychiatric care. Emotional upset was detectable in six patients and most of the cases were educated [17 cases] while only two were illiterates. Some neurotic traits were found in nine of the cases. Jealousy from a brother or a sister was positive in 8 cases and disturbed mother of father-child relationship was detectable in 11 cases. Generally, the study showed that trichotillomania commonly occurs with emotional up- sets usually associated with psychosocial family stresses, however, the name, trichotillohabitus, was found to be more preferable than the traditional name trichotillomania which carries a more violent and unrealistic impression