Family Functioning in Pediatric Trichotillomania

Abstract

Little is known about how pediatric trichotillomania (TTM), a clinically significant and functionally impairing disorder, is impacted by, and impacts, family functioning. We explored dimensions of family functioning and parental attitudes in a sample of children and adolescents who participated in an Internet-based survey and satisfied conservative diagnostic criteria for TTM (ages 10–17, n = 133). Analyses reveal trends toward higher levels of dysfunction in families of TTM youth relative to normative samples, although no differences achieved statistical significance. However, scores on the Family Assessment Measure and the Attitudes Toward My Child scales were similar to those in clinical samples of youth with cystic fibrosis, an eating disorder, or an anxiety disorder. While these results indicate that family functioning and parental attitudes in TTM were not generally or extremely problematic, family issues may nevertheless warrant particular clinical evaluation and attention in more severe TTM cases.

KEYWORDS:

• child and adolescent
• family
• parent
• trichotillomania

The authors thank the Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC) for providing the funding for this project and their assistance with data collection. The authors also express gratitude to all study participants.

Notes

∗p < .05.

^a Significantly different from mean of parent reported low severity group, t(37) = 4.24, p ≤ .001.

^b Significantly different from mean of child reported low severity group, t(36) = − 2.30, p = .027.

TLC-SAB members are Ruth Golomb, MEd; Ethan Lerner, MD, PhD; Carol Novak, MD; Frederick Penzel, PhD; Dan Stein, MD, PhD; and Harry Wright, MD, MBA.