Pharmacological and psychological treatments of pathological skin-picking: A preliminary meta-analysis

Extant literature has suggested that both pharmacological and psychological approaches are efficacious treatments for pathological skin-picking (PSP); however, their relative effectiveness has not yet been examined. Furthermore, case studies are the most prevalent form of PSP treatment research, necessitating a review of the available systematic research in this area. The current meta-analysis indicates that both approaches are comparably effective in reducing PSP severity. An additional examination of pharmacological effects on secondary symptoms revealed that pharmacological interventions are useful in reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but have little effect on comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms. Future research should consider more rigorous methods of treatment studies, potentially increasing treatment efficacy by combining pharmacological and psychological approaches, and taking secondary symptomatology into account. Examining the comparative effectiveness of these approaches serves to guide and inform practitioners, and thus provide patients with the best standard of care. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.