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Exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania: a qualitative study
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2024
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| _version_ | 1867613846005350400 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jenkins, Dan |
| author2 | Roomaney, Rizwana |
| author_browse | Jenkins, Dan Roomaney, Rizwana |
| author_facet | Roomaney, Rizwana Jenkins, Dan |
| author_sort | Jenkins, Dan |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130171 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:37.450Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130171 Exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania: a qualitative study Jenkins, Dan Roomaney, Rizwana Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology. Adjustment (Psychology) Compulsive hair pulling Impulse control disorders Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Trichotillomania (TTM) is an often-debilitating condition characterised by the chronic pulling out of one’s own hair, despite repeated attempts to stop. TTM frequently results severe impairments in quality of life across emotional, psychological, social, and occupational areas. Although there are no recommended frontline pharmacological treatments for TTM, cognitive behavioural therapies have shown promise in symptom and impairment reduction. Despite this, many hair-pulling individuals (HPIs) remain unable to receive formal treatment due to cost, accessibility of care, awareness of TTM as a disorder, or stigma and shame. These barriers to treatment prompt the use of alternative coping strategies, or strategies that HPIs use outside of formal treatment, and which are little documented in literature. In this study, I sought to explore HPIs’ experiences living with TTM and how these may have contributed to the use of alternative coping strategies. Methods: I recruited twenty hair-pulling participants from the Reddit r/trichotillomania forum and the TLC Foundation’s website. I interviewed participants online for a mean duration of 47 minutes between October 2022 and January 2023. Interviews were subjected to a reflexive thematic analysis and were coded using ATLAS.ti software. Data collection and analysis were guided by to Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Ashing-Giwa’s Contextual Model of Health-Related Quality of Life. Results: During data analysis, I constructed five themes and 19 subthemes. The five themes were: (1) living with hair-pulling, (2) the social element of hair-pulling, (3) treatment seeking experiences, (4) social support groups and structures, (5) and managing hair-pulling. Results highlighted the severe psychological, emotional, and social impairment associated with hair-pulling and the often-cyclical nature of hair-pulling to relieve this distress. Participants reported difficulty concealing hair-pulling from others and avoidance of disclosure due to concerns about negative appraisals or comments. Negative treatment experiences such as ineffective treatments and a perceived lack of knowledge by practitioners were contrasted with online support groups, which participants reported to be useful sources of knowledge and support when dealing with hair-pulling. Participants reported using diverse problem-focussed coping strategies, aimed at reducing hair-pulling and comments from others; emotion-focussed coping strategies, intended to manage emotional fallout and psychosocial impairment caused by prolonged hair-pulling; and meaning-focussed coping strategies, which were intended to incorporate pulling into a holistic sense of self. Discussion: There is a need for compassionate treatment which considers HPIs holistically and not as collections of symptoms. Participants frequently reported feeling misunderstood by practitioners, indicating an incongruence in the way hair-pulling is approached by patients and practitioners. Furthermore, results indicate a need for increased awareness among practitioners and the public on symptoms and treatments for TTM. This study provides an overview of the subjective experience of living with hair-pulling and can be used by both HPIs and practitioners to identify possible pitfalls in treatment and how they can be managed with alternative coping strategies. The qualitative nature of this study did, however, make objective measurement of the effectiveness of coping strategies and support groups impossible. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: IInleiding: Trikkotillomania (TTM) is ‘n dikwels ernstige versteurende kondisie wat gekarakteriseer word deur die kroniese uittrek van hare, ten spyte van menigte probeerslae om te stop. TTM verloop gereeld in ernstige verswakking in kwaliteit van lewe wat emosionele, sielkundige, sosiale, en beroepsgerigte areas betref. Al is daar geen aanbeveelde farmakologiese behandelinge vir TTM nie, toon menigte kognitiewe gedrags terapieë resultate in die vermindering van simptome en ander vorms van belemmering. Ten spyte hiervan kry baie individue wat hare trek (HPIs) geen formele behandeling as gevolg van kostes, toeganklikheid, bewustheid van TTM as ‘n versteuring, of stigma en skaamte. Hierdie hindernisse lei tot die gebruik van alternatiewe hanteringsmeganismes, of strategië wat HPIs buite formele behandeling kan gebruik, en wat min gedokumenteer is in die literatuur. In hierdie studie het ek beoog om die ervaring van HPIs wat lewe met TTM te ondersoek, asook die maniere hoe hierdie ervaringe gelei het tot die gebruik van alternatiewe hanteringsmeganismes. Metodologie: Ek het twintig deelnemers wat hare trek van die Reddit r/trichotillomania forum en die TLC’s se webwerf gewerf. Ek het aanlyn onderhoude van ‘n gemiddelde tyd van 47 minute met die deelnemers uitgevoer tussen Oktober 2022 en Januarie 2023. Die onderhoude is daarna geanaliseer deur refleksiewe tematiese analise en is toe gekodeer deur gebruik te maak van ATLAS.ti sagteware. Data kolleksie en analise is uitgevoer in lyn met Lazarus en Folksman se Transaktionele Model van Stres en Hantering, asook Ashing-Giwa’s Kontekstuele Model van Gesondheids Kwaliteit van Lewe. Resultate: Gedurende data analise het ek vyf temas en 19 subtemas geidentifieer. Die vyf temas was as volg: (1) om te lewe met haartrekgedrag, (2) die sosiale element van haartrekgedrag, (3) ervaring met die soek vir behandeling, (4) sosiale ondersteuningsgroepe en strukture, (5) en die hantering van haartrekgedrag. Die resultate het die ernstige sielkundige, emosionele, en sosiale belemmering wat geassosieer word met haartrekgedrag beklemtoon, sowel as die soms sikliese natuur van haartrekgedrag om die stres/nood te verlig. Bespreking: Daar is ‘n noodsaaklikheid vir deernisvolle behandeling wat TTM holisties oorweeg en nie net die versteuring as ‘n versameling van simptome te sien nie. Deelnemers het dikwels gerapporteer dat hulle misverstaan is deur die persone wat praktiseer, wat dui op ‘n gebrek aan kongruensie in die manier waarop haartrekgedrag deur pasiënte en praktisyne benader word. Verder dui die resultate op ‘n behoefte vir bewustheid onder praktisyne en die publiek wat simptome en behandeling van TTM betref. Hierdie studie gee ‘n oorsig oor die subjektiewe ervaring van mense wat lewe met haartrekgedrag en kan deur beide HPIs en praktisyne gebruik word om potensiële slaggate in die behandeling van TTM te identifiseer en hoe hierdie slaggate deur alternatiewe hantersmeganismes gemedieër kan word. Die kwalitatiewe natuur van die studie het die objektiewe meting van die effektiwiteit van hanteringsmeganismes onmoontlik gemaak. Masters 2024-02-22T13:27:21Z 2024-04-26T07:53:41Z 2024-02-22T13:27:21Z 2024-04-26T07:53:41Z 2024-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130171 en_ZA en_ZA Stellenbosch University xv, 171 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Adjustment (Psychology) Compulsive hair pulling Impulse control disorders Jenkins, Dan Exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania: a qualitative study |
| title | Exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | exploring coping strategies used by individuals exhibiting symptoms of trichotillomania a qualitative study |
| topic | Adjustment (Psychology) Compulsive hair pulling Impulse control disorders |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130171 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jenkinsdan exploringcopingstrategiesusedbyindividualsexhibitingsymptomsoftrichotillomaniaaqualitativestudy |