Re-Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Massachusetts General Hospital Hairpulling Scale

Abstract

Trichotillomania is characterized by recurrent hair pulling resulting in hair loss and has been shown to have a significant impact on the health and social functioning of individuals with the disorder. Despite a growing presence in clinical and research settings, there are relatively few tools available to assess the severity of Trichotillomania, and data examining the reliability and validity of those measures are sparse. The goal of this study was to replicate and expand on previous examinations of the reliability and validity of the Massachusetts General Hospital Hairpulling Scale, a measure of Trichotillomania severity. Similar to previous studies, results showed acceptable internal consistency and provided evidence for divergent validity however, test-retest reliability was not acceptable and evidence for convergent validity was mixed. Implications of these results and suggestions for the future assessment of Trichotillomania severity are discussed.