UNTROUBLED PULLERS: AN EXAMINATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH NONCLINICAL, CHRONIC HAIR PULLING

Untroubled pullers are individuals that engage in recurrent, noncosmetic hair pulling but do not report experiencing clinically significant distress or impairment in response to their hair pulling. Although these individuals often respond to recruitment efforts for trichotillomania (TTM) research studies, they are usually excluded as they do not meet TTM criteria and, thus, have yet to be studied. Empirically studying untroubled pullers will allow for improved understanding of this group and provide further information about the characteristics associated with clinically significant pulling. This study utilizes exploratory analyses of two separate, online samples to compare untroubled pullers and individuals that meet full TTM diagnostic criteria in terms of (1) TTM symptomology and clinical features, (2) demographic information, (3) interpersonal functioning, and (4) personality and intrapersonal functioning in order to begin creating a profile of untroubled pullers. Results demonstrated that untroubled pullers shared similar demographics with individuals with diagnoseable TTM but were significantly different on many measures of interpersonal functioning, perfectionism, and symptomology and clinical features. Compared to fully diagnosed pullers, untroubled pullers experienced less pulling done in response to sensory stimulation, focused and automatic pulling, negative affect and self-evaluative thought after pulling, perceived risk in intimate relationships, social anxiety, concern about making mistakes, and doubts about their actions.