What are Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours?

Body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB) is an umbrella  term for a group of related disorders including hair pulling,  skin picking, and nail biting. These behaviours are not  habits or tics; rather, they are complex disorders that  cause people to repeatedly touch their hair and body in  ways that result in physical damage. The best research suggests that 3% or more of the population  lives with a BFRB – that’s over 10 million people in North  America alone – yet they often go undiagnosed and untreated,  causing shame and isolation.  Symptoms tend to begin around puberty, and may come and  go over time, but usually require intervention to achieve lasting  remission. Women have a greater chance of being affected  than men. The causes are not fully understood, but evidence  shows that these disorders are at least partly hereditary. 

 FLOW CHART FOR BFRB TREATMENT (what to expect)

PHASE 1: ASSESSMENT AND FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS 

Decision to target behaviour and orientation of client 

Identification of functional components 

Begin self-monitoring 

PHASE 2: IDENTIFY AND TARGET MODALITIES 

Identification of potential modalities to be targeted 

Selection of target modalities 

PHASE 3: IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES

 Identify potential treatment strategies within the targeted modalities 

Identify the specific strategies most likely to be used by the client 

Train client in the use of strategies/implement for at least 1 week 

PHASE 4: EVALUATION AND MODIFICATION 

Evaluate effectiveness of the strategy 

Select and implement next step in treatment