A clinical comparison of pathologic skin picking and obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract 

Background

It has been hypothesized that pathologic skin picking (PSP) shares many of the same biological and phenomenological characteristics as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study sought to examine the clinical similarities between PSP and OCD.

Method

Demographic and clinical characteristic data were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of 53 PSP (mean age, 34.2 ± 13.1 years; 86.8% female) and 51 OCD (mean age, 36.5 ± 11.7 years; 35.3% female) subjects. Psychiatric comorbidity and family history data were also obtained.

Results

The PSP subjects were more likely to be female (P < .001), report higher rates of co-occurring compulsive nail biting (P < .001), and have a first-degree relative with a grooming disorder (P < .001). The OCD subjects spent significantly more time on their thoughts and behaviors (P < .001) and were more likely to have co-occurring body dysmorphic disorder (P = .001).

Conclusion

Although PSP and OCD share some clinical similarities, important differences exist and cast doubt on the conceptualization of PSP as simply a variant of OCD.