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| Research article summary (published 29 Jun 2002): |
Skin picking in German students. Prevalence, phenomenology, and associated characteristics.
Full Abstract
Severe skin picking (SP) is a repetitive, intentionally performed behavior that causes noticeable tissue damage and results in clinically significant distress or impairment. To date, SP has received little attention in the psychiatric literature. This study was conducted to further investigate SP and its characteristics in a German student population. The participants (N = 133) completed various self-report questionnaires. More than 90% (n = 122) reported occasional SP, with six students (4.6%) endorsing significant impairment from recurrent, self-injurious SP. SP was triggered by specific cutaneous stimuli, situations, and emotions. The students primarily squeezed (85%) and scratched (77.4%) the skin, with a primary focus on the face (94.7%) and cuticles (52.6%). About 20% (n = 26) ate the picked tissue afterward. Results suggest SP is an underrecognized problem that occurs on a continuum ranging from mild to severe with generally stable clinical characteristics across cultures.
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Author information
Author/s: Bohne, Antje (A); Wilhelm, Sabine (S); Keuthen, Nancy J (NJ); Baer, Lee (L); Jenike, Michael A (MA);
Affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA.
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal: Behavior modification (Behav Modif), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2002-Jul; vol 26 (issue 3) : pp 320-39
Dates: Created 2002/06/25; Completed 2002/07/18; Revised 2006/11/15;
PMID: 12080904, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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