ICD-10 Xxx.x | ICD-9-CM xxx | |
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Body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) is an umbrella name for impulse control behaviors involving compulsively damaging one's physical appearance or causing physical injury.
Contents
The main BFRB disorders are:
BFRB disorders can also include Rhinotillexomania (compulsive nose picking). BFRB disorders are not generally considered obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Causes
The cause of BFRBs is unknown. Emotional variables may have a differential impact on the expression of BFRBs. Researchers are investigating a possible genetic component.
Onset
BFRBs most often begin in late childhood or in the early teens.
Prevalence
BFRBs are among the most poorly understood, misdiagnosed, and undertreated groups of disorders. BFRBs may affect at least 1 out of 20 people. Trichotillomania alone is believed to affect 10 million people in the United States.
Treatment
Treatment can include behavior modification therapy, medication, and family therapy. The evidence base criteria for BFRBs is strict and methodical. Individual behavioral therapy has been shown as a "probably effective" evidence-based therapy to help with thumb sucking, and possibly nail biting. Cognitive behavioral therapy was cited as experimental evidence based therapy to treat trichotillomania and nail biting. Another form of treatment that focuses on mindfulness, stimuli and rewards has proven effective in some people. However, no treatment was deemed well-established to treat any form of BFRBs.