A Comparative Study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Pharmacotherapy on Trichotillomania Symptoms Severity: A Single-Subject Research

Aim and The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and pharmacotherapy on severity of trichotillomania (TTM) symptoms.
Methods and Materials: The participants consisted of 8 women and 1 man of over 16 years of age with TTM. The subjects were chosen through convenience sampling and randomly divided into 3 groups of equal size (CBT, ACT, and pharmacotherapy groups). The present single-subject study was conducted using the A-B design. The baseline consisted of 3 sessions, and the intervention consisted of 10 weekly sessions of CBT and ACT once a week for 60 minutes and 10 pharmacotherapy sessions once every 2 weeks. One month after the intervention, the subjects participated in 3 follow-up sessions (once a month). Massachusetts General Hospital Hairpulling Scale (MGH-HPS) was used to collect data.
Findings: The findings of this study were analyzed based on visual analysis and descriptive statistical indicators. The results demonstrated that CBT and ACT were, respectively, more effective on the reduction of TTM symptoms severity and pharmacotherapy was the least effective.
Considering the effectiveness of CBT and ACT on severity of TTM symptoms, the use of these therapies to reduce TTM symptoms is recommended.