Aripiprazole in Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors

The primary efficacy measure will be the change in hair pulling or skin picking frequency and urges to pull hair or pick skin for the past week as indicated by change in total score. The entire study lasts 6 weeks. Every two weeks subjects will take the NIMH-TSS. The change in scores from baseline to after 6 weeks will be assessed. The scale itself assesses severity of trichotillomania symptoms. The NIMH-TSS score ranges from 0 to 20, with 0 being no symptoms and 20 being the most severe.

The entire study for the subject will last 6 weeks. Every two weeks the subject will complete the CGI. The change in scores from baseline to after 6 weeks will be assessed. The scale itself assesses overall disorder severity on a scale from 1 to 7 with 1 being "not at all" and 7 being "among the most severe cases"

Brief, self-report instrument for assessing repetitive hairpulling (skinpicking). Seven individual items, rated for severity from 0 to 4, assess urges to pull, actual pulling, perceived control, and associated distress.

The entire study lasts 6 weeks. Every two weeks subjects will take the SP-SAS. The change in scores from baseline to after 6 weeks will be assessed. The scale itself assesses severity of skin-picking symptoms. The SP-SAS score ranges from 0 to 48, with 0 being no symptoms and 48 being the most severe.

A self-report assessment of patient perceived quality of life that will be assessed at baseline and week 6. Higher scores indicate a higher quality of life, whereas lower scores indicate a lower quality of life.

Subjects will complete the SDS at all visits. The change in scores from baseline to study completion will be assessed. The scale itself assesses the level of disability from target disorder with higher scores indicating a more debilitating disorder.

A clinician-administered assessment of depression that will be assessed at all study visits. Higher total scores indicate higher levels of depression, while a score of 0 would indicate no depressive symptoms

A clinician-administered assessment of anxiety that will be assessed at all study visits. Changes in scores from baseline to final visit will be assessed. Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety, with 0 being no symptoms of anxiety.

TPQ seeks to measure three dimensions (traits) of the personality. These personality traits are novelty seeking, harm avoidance and reward dependence. Each have four subscales. There are 100 true-false questions which form the basis for the computation of the traits.

A self-report assessment that measures intake of different types of caffeine in the past week. Higher scores indicate more frequent caffeine use and lower scores indicate less frequent caffeine use. This will be assessed at all study visits.

A self-report assessment of compulsivity. Higher scores indicate greater compulsivity and lower scores indicate less compulsivity. This will be assessed at all study visits.