Review of Management Considerations for Excoriation Disorder in Older Adults

Excoriation (skin picking) disorder is a psychocutaneous condition defined as repetitive picking that results in skin damage despite repeated attempts to reduce the behavior.1 Afflicted individuals often spend hours per day picking at one or multiple locations of the body; this contributes to emotional distress, impairment in daily activities, utilization of healthcare resources, excess morbidity, and hospitalization in severe cases.2 Skin picking behaviors typically develop in adolescence to early adulthood and present as episodes that wax and wane in response to one or multiple stressors.

Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry - March 7, 2024 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Michael J. Mandarino, Lauren Stummer, Ana F. Trueba, Ipsit Vahia, Alexis Freedberg Tags: Treatment in Geriatric Mental Health: Research in Action Source Type: research