Background
Researchers have long viewed pathological skin picking as a method of coping with unpleasant emotions and stress. While recent studies have discussed elevated levels of emotional dysregulation in the skin picking disorder (SPD) population, this study investigates impulsivity and distress tolerance as potential factors underlying emotional dysregulation in SPD, and explores relevant clinical outcomes.
Methods
We recruited 140 adult participants with current DSM-5 SPD. Participants completed assessments assessing SPD severity, emotional regulation strategies, distress tolerance, impulsivity, functional impairment, and perceived quality of life. Scale total and item scores were compared with scores from healthy controls.
Results
Adults with SPD reported higher levels of impulsivity, poor quality of life, and significant problems with both tolerating distressing events and using adaptive emotional regulation strategies compared to healthy controls. Within the SPD group, lower distress tolerance and emotional regulation scores correlated with greater functional impairment and lower quality of life.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that emotional dysregulation, poor coping skills, and impulsiveness are common in SPD. Moreover, these problems may contribute to worse clinical outcomes. Therapeutic strategies that promote the development of distress tolerance and coping skills, such as dialectical behavioral therapy, may be an avenue for achieving better clinical outcomes for adults with SPD.
