THE DIAGNOSIS AND PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF TRICHOTILLOMANIA- A REVIEW

Recently published literature has given rise to two questions: first, can trichotillomania be considered a variant of obsessive-compulsive d isorder? and second, are psychopharmacological treatment strategies, i n particular serotonin reuptake blockers, effective in the treatment o f trichotillomania? The differences between trichotillomania and obses sive-compulsive disorder were too great to answer the former question affirmatively. To answer the latter question, an overview is given of clinical studies on the effects of psychopharmacological treatment of adolescents and adults with trichotillomania. A total of three studies with control groups and seven without were reviewed. The results vari ed widely and were inconsistent. The conclusion is that no psychopharm acological treatment strategies can be recommended so far.