comparison of clomipramine, hydroxyzine, and behavior therapy in the treatment of trichotillomania

trichotillomania refferes compulsive hair pulling that results in considerable hair loss.many medical and nonedical therapies have been applied for treatment of this disorder. the purpose of this study was to compare the efectiveness of clomipramine, hydroxyzine, and behavior therapy (habit reversal) in the treatment of trichottillomania. to achieve this 15 patients with trichotillomania were randoly assigned to 3 experimental groups. one group received clomipramine for 6 weeks. the second group received hydroyzine for 6 weeks, and the third group attended 6 sessions of habit reversal therapy.the findings indicated that clomipraine and hydroxyzine had no significant effects. habit reversal had considerable effect on th eintensity of the disorder, but not on th enumber of hairs pulled off.comparison between three groups indicated the superiority of habit reversal in the treatment of tichotillomania.