I’m still working on personal matters and hope to get back to real blogging soon. In the meantime, here is an important alert from the Trichotillomania Learning Center about proposed changes to hair pulling & skin picking listings in the DSM-V. This manual contains the criteria for diagnosis mental disorders and the codes in it are referenced by insurance companies. It is part of how they determine whether or not a mental health claim is payable or not. Some people cannot get their Trich or skin picking treatments covered because they don’t have a “real” diagnosis code in the DSM-IV. Trich is at least listed, skin picking is sort of just mentioned. Please research this issue, read TLC’s “talking points” below, and communicate your thoughts to the DSM committee. They need to know there are patients & professionals watching this process who have a vested interest in the outcome.
Voice Your Opinion About Proposed Changes to
“Trichotillomania” and “Skin Picking” in the DSM-V
The Task Force undertaking the revision of the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has made the current draft revisions available for public comment until April 20, 2010. The “DSM”, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the common reference book used to diagnose mental disorders. It greatly influences how doctors, researchers and insurance companies think about hair pulling and skin picking. (FYI: Skin Picking isn’t even included in the current edition).
Christina and I urge you to take a few minutes to voice your opinions to the DSM-5 Task Force about the proposed changes to “Trichotillomania” and “Skin Picking.” Hair pulling and skin picking have been silent, hidden problems – and thus, largely ignored by the research and treatment communities. By speaking up, you will help the Task Force to understand just how important and prevalent these problems really are!
The proposed revisions can be viewed here – and you can log-in to give your feedback:
http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
You will find trichotillomania listed under “Impulse Control Disorders Not Elsewhere Classified” and skin picking under “Anxiety Disorders.”
These are the key points we hope you’ll make in your feedback:
1) Name Change – I support phasing out the name “Trichotillomania” as the “mania” suffix is inaccurate, misleading and often stigmatizing.
2) Diagnostic Criteria for Hair Pulling — I agree that criteria B&C from the DSM-IV should be eliminated. These criteria do not fit all cases of hair pulling and have been a barrier to accurate research.
3) Categorization of Hair Pulling –
A) I think hair pulling and skin picking should be listed together in a new category of “Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors”
B) Categorizing trichotillomania under “Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders” would be an improvement over “Impulse Control Disorder” but isn’t ideal.
4) Skin Picking Disorder Categorization – Skin Picking is a debilitating and common problem and should be included in a category with Hair Pulling – NOT simply in the Appendix for Further Research.
5) Field Trials – Please include hair pulling and skin picking in the Field Trials process – both disorders have long been neglected and are in need of further research.
For more information go to:
Completely agree with all your suggestions, particularly regarding diagnostic criteria B and C. Will be looking into this, thank you!
If “trichotillomania” will no longer be used, what’s the proposed new term, if any is decided upon yet?
Right now it is proposed to change to “Hair Pulling Disorder” and then Dermotillomania will be “Skin Picking Disorder.” While I understand their point that this will be more clear, and they are trying to get farther & farther away from Greek & Latin names, I don’t like these terms. I think they make it sound trivial and more “made up.” I was hoping they would just remove the mania part and go with Trichotillia and Dermotillia, since that is acurate and still sounds a little more medical. In addition, there is continuity from one name to the next without having to put (Trichotillomania) in parentheses….which seems a little pointless.
It really is a pretty easy read if you go to the page. Of course, I’ve been looking at the DSM-IV since about my 2nd year of college, so I’m used to it. It is good for the sake of educating yourself, if nothing else.