Repetitive skin-picking in a student population and comparison with a sample of self-injurious skin-pickers

Psychosomatics. 2000 May-Jun;41(3):210-5. doi: 10.1176/appi.psy.41.3.210.

Abstract

The prevalence of skin-picking and its associated characteristics were documented in a nonclinical sample of 105 college students. Subjects completed a self-report skin-picking inventory and several paper-and-pencil scales. Students who endorsed skin-picking were compared to a clinical sample of self-injurious skin-pickers (n = 31) reported on previously. Of the student subjects, 78.1% (n = 82) endorsed some degree of skin-picking and four subjects satisfied criteria for severe, self-injurious picking. Student subjects significantly differed from the clinical sample-of self-injurious skin-pickers in the duration, focus, and extent of picking, techniques used, reasons for picking, associated emotions, and picking sequelae.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Body Image
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Massachusetts
  • Middle Aged
  • Motivation
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology
  • Reference Values
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / diagnosis*
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / epidemiology
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology
  • Skin / injuries*
  • Students / psychology*
  • Students / statistics & numerical data