Trichotillomania and other impulse control disorders

Although women and men (and girls and boys) share similarities, they also exhibit differences that may contribute to the etiology and development of impulse control disorders. Such differences may hold significant implications for the generation of optimal prevention and treatment strategies. In this chapter, we review data on gender-related differences in impulse control disorders, considering epidemiological, clinical, biological, and therapeutic perspectives. Implications for improving prevention and treatment interventions are discussed.

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Impulse Control Disorders in Medical Settings

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195389715.013.0123 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Sean G. Sullivan

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Impulse Control ◽

Care Service ◽

Health Care Service ◽

Impulse Control Disorders ◽

Short Supply ◽

Medical Settings ◽

Primary Care Settings ◽

Primary Health

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) and conditions with impulse control features provide a challenge in terms of identification, treatment, and follow-up when mental health specialists are in short supply. Medical settings, in particular the largest, primary health care, provide an opportunity to address many impulse-affected conditions currently poorly assessed and treated in health care settings. Barriers to intervention for ICDs in primary health care are time constraints; understanding of the etiology, symptoms, and appropriate interventions; the health and social costs; and prioritizing of training in and treatment of conditions perceived as more serious or appropriate to a primary health care service. These barriers may possibly be overcome in primary care settings, and in this chapter, a model to address problem gambling is described.

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The Oxford Handbook of Impulse Control Disorders

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195389715.001.0001 ◽

2012 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Impulse Control ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Impulse Control Disorders ◽

Clear Understanding ◽

Intermittent Explosive Disorder ◽

Normal Behavior ◽

Assessment And Treatment ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

Psychopathological Disorders

Impulsivity, to varying degrees, is what underlies human behavior and decision-making processes. As such, a thorough examination of impulsivity allows us to better understand modes of normal behavior and action as well as a range of related psychopathological disorders, including kleptomania, pyromania, trichotillomania, intermittent explosive disorder, and pathological gambling—disorders grouped under the term "impulse control disorders" (ISDs). Recent efforts in the areas of cognitive psychology, neurobiology, and genetics have provided a greater understanding of these behaviors and given way to improved treatment options. The Oxford Handbook of Impulse Control Disorders provides a clear understanding of the developmental, biological, and phenomenological features of a range of ICDs, as well as detailed approaches to their assessment and treatment. Bringing together founding ICD researchers and leading experts from psychology and psychiatry, this volume reviews the biological underpinnings of impulsivity and the conceptual challenges facing clinicians as they treat individuals with ICDs.

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