Research Article
Race/Ethnicity and Treatment Outcome in a Randomized Controlled Trial for Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)
Martha J. Falkenstein,
Kate Rogers, Elizabeth J. Malloy, David A. F. Haaga,
Corresponding Author
Martha J. Falkenstein
American University
Please address correspondence to: Martha J. Falkenstein, Department of Psychology, Asbury Building, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016–8062. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorMartha J. Falkenstein,
Kate Rogers, Elizabeth J. Malloy, David A. F. Haaga,
Corresponding Author
Martha J. Falkenstein
American University
Please address correspondence to: Martha J. Falkenstein, Department of Psychology, Asbury Building, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016–8062. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorThis research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Grant 1R15MH086852–01. NIMH had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.
We thank Charley Mansueto who consulted on the stepped care project as a whole.
Abstract
Objective
Treatment outcome was compared among non-Hispanic White and racial/ethnic minority participants with trichotillomania (TTM), or hair-pulling disorder.
Method
Symptom severity, quality of life, and TTM-related disability were compared in a behavior therapy trial with a stepped care approach: web-based self-help and then individual behavior therapy. The sample comprised 72% (n = 38) non-Hispanic White participants and 28% (n = 15) minority participants.
Results
The ethnic groups responded differently to treatment, with fewer minority participants showing improvement during web-based self-help. Response rates were equivalent between ethnic groups during the in-person behavior therapy. These results should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size of minorities in the study and consequent inability to analyze results for each racial/ethnic group individually.
Conclusions
Future studies should focus on the investigation of factors that may enable or hinder racial and ethnic minority participants to benefit from online and/or self-help behavior therapy for TTM.
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