2013 Volume 16 Issue 2 Pages 129-139
【Purpose】This study aims to investigate the involvement and support of yogo teachers of children with trichotillomania in terms of secondary prevention of this disorder in school mental health programs.
【Methods】The informants consisted of 140 yogo teachers who were randomly selected from elementary, junior high, and high schools in Tokyo. Questionnaires were used to determine if they had been involved in any hair-pulling cases and the signs, details of their involvement, and changes in hair-pulling instances after their involvement. In addition, the emotional behavioral characteristics of the children with trichotillomania were determined by using the Child Behavior Check-list: Teacher’s Report Form (TRF).
【Results】The participants consisted of 68 children (21 boys, 46 girls, and 1 blank) with an average age of 11.7 years old. Approximately 80% of the children fell under one of two categories on the TRF: the border level or the clinical level. From an emotional behavioral perspective, it was clear that children with trichotillomania were more unstable than other children of the same age, and the majority of those suffering from the disorder did not initiate spontaneous counseling. However, more than 70% of them showed considerable improvement through the involvement of the yogo teachers. The results show that the order of participation in class teachers and parents is a predictive factor regarding such improvement.
【Discussion/Conclusion】On the basis of the findings, for early detection of trichotillomania in students, it is important that not only yogo teachers but all school teachers need to heighten their attention and awareness of this issue. In addition, trichotillomania often leads to more serious issues in which specialized mental health support becomes necessary. This suggests that it is important to cooperate with parents through class teachers to quickly improve and positively affect those suffering from trichotillomania.
