Study of 61 Adults Ties Boredom to Trichotillomania Episodes as Tiredness Fuels Urges
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 24
Study of 61 Adults Ties Boredom to Trichotillomania Episodes as Tiredness Fuels Urges
3 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 24
Summary
Heidelberg University Hospital researchers tracked 61 adults with trichotillomania for 10 days and found boredom predicted both same-time and later hair-pulling episodes, while tiredness predicted stronger urges.
2,557 real-time assessments and 702 pulling episodes showed urges were far more predictive of actual pulling than emotional states alone, with stronger urges also raising the odds of a later episode.
Negative emotions including anxiety, anger and sadness were linked to stronger urges, but positive emotions were tied to weaker urges, challenging models that treat hair pulling mainly as emotional regulation.
The findings suggest under-arousal or low stimulation may help drive the disorder, which affects about 1% to 2% of people in the US and often overlaps with anxiety, depression, OCD and ADHD.
Researchers said the small, predominantly female sample and assessment gaps of up to 4 hours limit the study, but argued trichotillomania models should look beyond distress to what happens between urge and action.