Testing a New Therapy for Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania (TTM) is a disorder in which people compulsively pull out their own hair.
Treatments for TTM sometimes do not have long-term effectiveness. Acceptance and commitment
therapy (ACT) is a therapeutic approach thought to have longer lasting effects than standard
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches, because ACT focuses on accepting thoughts and
behaviors as opposed to changing them. Previous research indicates that a combination of ACT
and habit reversal behavioral therapy is more effective than no treatment. This study will
test whether a combination of ACT and behavioral therapy, called acceptance enhanced
behavioral therapy (AEBT), is more effective than the current standard treatment for TTM.

Participation in this study will last 12 weeks, and follow-up assessments will last for 6
months. At study entry, participants will complete a brief intelligence test and an
in-person interview about their medical history, psychiatric history, and hair pulling. At
their second visit, participants will have digital pictures taken of their hair-pulling
sites and complete two computer tasks measuring their response inhibition and cognitive
flexibility. After the second visit, participants will be randomly assigned to receive
either AEBT or psychoeducation and supportive therapy (PST)—a standard treatment for TTM.
Both treatments will involve ten 1-hour sessions completed over 12 weeks. Assessments of
participants will occur after 6 weeks of treatment, at treatment completion, and after 6
months. These assessments will measure treatment effectiveness, based on several clinical
scales and measures of TTM symptoms. Participants who receive PST during this study will be
offered AEBT afterward.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Current DSM-IV diagnosis of trichotillomania

- Massachusetts General Hospital Hair Scale score greater than 12

- Wechsler Test of Adult Reading score greater than 85

- Fluent in English

- Outpatient status

- Agreement to not alter the dosage of any psychotropic medication throughout the
course of the study, or, if such a dosage change is required, understanding that the
participant will continue to receive treatment, and data will continue to be
collected on him or her

- Individuals who eat their hair after pulling will be eligible for participation only
after they have received a physical exam from their primary care physician to
determine whether there is any gastrointestinal blockage due to hair pulling, which
would require more immediate clinical care.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, mental retardation, pervasive
developmental disorder, or current substance dependence (with the exception of
nicotine dependence)

- Current mood or anxiety disorder with an active suicide risk

- Currently receiving psychotherapy for trichotillomania or another psychiatric
condition

- Initiation or change in the dosage of any psychotropic medication for up to 8 weeks
preceding participation in the study