Abstract
The authors offer three interpretations of onychophagia, a widespread but largely unstudied phenomenon. The first is phenomenological, and characterises onychophagia as a non-pathological behavioural symptom present in many pathologies and a distinct syndrome that is sometimes quite severe. The second is clinical, and indicates the convergent and divergent connections between onychophagia and the most frequent eating disorders. The third is psychodynamic, and suggests an interpretative hypothesis of onychophagia itself and the frequent sensation of trouble and refusal that it often provokes even in doctors and psychotherapists.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Muller C.: Lessico di psichiatria, Padova, Piccin, 1980.
Testoni I.: Mistica dell’anoressia femminile tra Medioevo e Novecento. La rappresentazione della fame in Caterina Benincasa e Simone Weil. Il sogno della farfalla X, 2, 2001.
Cavaggioni G.: Vorace è colui che divora. Cibus, 2, 124, 1998.
Schulze U., Pettke R., Kreienkamo M., Hamm H., Brocker E., Wewetzer C., Trott G., Warnke A.: Dermatologic findings in anorexia and bulimia nervosa of childhood and adolescence. Pediatr. Dermatol., 16, 90, 1999.
Ballinger B.R.: The prevalence of nailbiting in normal and abnormal populations. Br. J. Psychiatry, 117, 445, 1970.
Battacchi M. W.: Trattato enciclopedico di psicologia dell’età evolutiva, vol. II, Padova, Piccin, 1990.
Pennington L.A.: The incidence of nailbiting among adults. Am. J. Psychiatry, 102, 2451, 1945.
Wells H.J., Haines J., Williams C.: Severe morbid onychophagia: the classification as self-mutilation and a proposed model of maintenance. Aust. NZ J. Psychiatry, 32, 534, 1997.
Wells J.H., Haines J., Williams C., Braian K.L.: The self-mutilativenature of severe onychophagia: a comparison with self-cutting. Can. J. Psychiatry, 44, 40, 1999.
Fagioli M.: Istinto di morte e conoscenza. Roma, Nuove Edizioni Romane, ed. 9, 2000.
Lalli N.: Manuale di psichiatria e psicoterapia. Napoli, Liguori Editore, 1999.
Williams J.F., Friedman I.M., Steiner H.: Hand lesions characteristic of bulimia. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 140, 28, 1986.
Gupta M.A., Gupta A.K., Habermann H.F. Dermatologic signs in anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Arch. Dermatol., 123, 1386, 1987.
Favaro A., Santonastaso P.: Different types of self-injurious behavior in bulimia nervosa. Compr. Psychiatry, 40, 57, 1999.
Favaro A., Santonastaso P.: Self-injurious behavior in anorexia nervosa. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis., 188, 537, 2000.
Favaro A., Santonastaso P.: Impulsive and compulsive self-injurious behavior in bulimia nervosa: prevalence and psychological correlates. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis., 186, 157, 1998.
Giberti F., Rossi M.: Manuale di psichiatria. Milano, F. Vallardi, 1980.
Leung A.K., Robson W.L.: Nailbiting. Clin. Pediatr., 29, 690, 1990.
Massler M., Malone A.J.: Nailbiting. A review. J. Pediatr., 36, 523, 1950.
AA.VV., DSM IV-Manuale diagnostico e statistico dei disturbi mentali. Milano, Masson, 1996.
Bienvenu O.J., Samuels J.F., Riddle M.A., Hoehn-Saric R., Liang K.J., Cullen B.A.M., Grados M.A., Nestadt G.: The relationship of obsessive-compulsive disorder to possible spectrum disorders: results from a family study. Biol. Psychiatr., 48, 287, 2000.
De Luca R.V., Holborn S.W.: A comparison of relaxation training and competing response training to eliminate hair pulling and nail biting. J. Behav. Exp. Psychiatry, 15, 67, 1984.
Foster L.G.: Nervous habit and stereotyped behaviours in preschool children. J. Am. Acad. Child. Adolesc. Psychiatry, 37, 711, 1998.
Goldsmith T., Shapira N.A., Phillips K.A., McElroy S.L.: Conceptual foundations of obsessive- compulsive spectrum disorders, in obsessivecompulsive disorders: Theory, research, and treatment. New York, Swinson and Richard, 1998.
Leonard H.L., Lenane M.C., Swedo S.E., Rettew D.C., Repoport J.L.: A double-blind comparison of clomipramine and desipramine treatment of severe onychophagia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 48, 821, 1991.
Maggini C., Ampollini P., Gariboldi S., Cella P., Pelizza L., Marchesi C.: The Parma High School Epidemiological Survey: obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Acta Psychiatr. Scand., 103, 441, 2001.
Morley D.S.: Psychophysiological reactivity to stress in nail biting. Int. J. Neurosci., 103, 139, 2000.
Vogel W., Stein D.J.: Citalopram for head banging. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 39, 544, 2000.
Woods D.W., Murray L.K., Fuqua R.W., Seif TA., Boyer L.J., Siah A.: Comparing the effectiveness of similar and dissimilar competing responses in evaluating the habit reversal treatment for oral digital habits in children. J. Behav. Ther. Exp. Psychiatry, 30, 289, 1999.
Zajecka J.M.: Growing awareness: obsessivecompulsive disorder. Prim. Care Psychiatr., 3, 69, 1997.
Allen K.W.: Chronic nailbiting: a controlled comparison of competing response and mild aversion treatments. Behav. Res. Ther., 34, 269, 1996.
Azrin N.H., Nunn R.G., Franz S.E.: Habit reversal vs. negative practice treatment of nailbiting. Behav. Res. Ther., 18, 281, 1980.
Bornstein P.H., Rychtarik R.G., McFall M.E.: Hypnobehavioral treatment of chronic nailbiting: a multiple baseline analysis, Int. J. Clin. Exp. Hypn., 28, 208, 1980.
Davidson A.M., Denney D.R., Elliott C.H.: Suppression and substitution in the treatment of nailbiting. Behav. Res. Ther., 18, 1, 1980.
Frankel M.J., Merbaum M.: Effects of therapist contact and a self-control manual on nailbiting reduction. Behav. Ther., 13, 125, 1982.
Gilleard F., Eskin M., Savasir B.: Nailbiting and oral aggression in a Turkish student population. Br. J. Med. Psychol., 61(pt2), 197, 1988.
Hirsch M.: Syndromes related to factitious diseases. Psychother. Psychosom., 62, 63, 1994.
Horne D.J., Wilkinson J.: Habit reversal treatment for fingernail biting. Behav. Res. Ther., 18, 287, 1980.
Joubert C.E.: Relationship of self-esteem, manifest anxiety, and obsessive-compulsiveness to personal habits. Psychol. Rep., 73, 579, 1993.
Silbert K.P., Haynes C.E.: Treating nailbiting: a comparative analysis of mild aversion and competing response therapies. Behav. Res. Ther., 30, 15, 1992.
Spevak P.A., Richards C.S.: Enhancing the durability of treatment effects: maintenance strategies in the treatment of nail-biting. Cognitive Ther. Res., 4, 251, 1980.
Dimino E., Camisa C.: Trichotillomania associated with the “Friar Tuck sing” and nail biting. Cutis, 47, 107, 1991.
Hediger C., Rost B., Itin P.: Cutaneous manifestations in anorexia nervosa. Schweiz. Med. Wochenschr., 130, 565, 2000.
Mayerhausen W., Voget H.J., Fichter M.M., Stahl S.: Dermatologic aspects of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Hautarzt, 41, 476, 1990.
Rodrigues Torres A., Inaty Smaira S., Tiosso A.M.: Obsessive-compulsive disorders and clinically correlated dermatoses. An. Bras. Dermatologia, 70, 239, 1995.
Scott M.J., Scott III M.J.: “Wolf biter”. Cutis, 59, 19, 1997.
Singer P., Gibson G.H.: Unilateral onychodystrophy secondary to nail biting. Cutis, 42, 191, 1988.
Stein D.J., Hollander E.: Dermatology and conditions related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol., 26, 237, 1992.
Koo J.Y.M., Smith L.L.: Obsessive-compulsive disorders in the pediatric dermatology practice. Pediatr. Dermatol., 8, 107, 1991.
Peterson A., Campise R.L., Azrin N.H.: Behavioral and pharmacological treatments for tic and habit disorders: a review. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr., 15, 430, 1994.
Arone Di Bartolino R., Nanni G.: The treatment of onychophagia. Minerva Med., 71, 1269, 1980.
Black D.W.: Obsessive-compulsive disorder: recognition and clinical management. Intern. Med., 18, 39, 1997.
Heaton K.W., Mountford R.A.: Nail biting in the population and its relationship to irritable bowel syndrome. J. R. Soc. Med., 85, 457, 1992.
Kleinrok M., Mielnik-Hus J., Zysko-Worniak D., Szkutnik J., Kaczmarek A., Doraczynska F., Pyc K.: Investigations on prevalence and treatment of fingernail biting. Cranio, 8, 47, 1990.
Bonaparte M.: Psicoanalisi e antropologia. Bologna, Guaraldi Editore, 1971.
Ferenczi S.: Fondamenti di psicoanalisi. vol. I, Firenze, Guaraldi Editore, 1972.
Billing A.L.: Fingernail biting: its incipiency, incidence, and amelioration. Genet. Psychol. Monogr., 24, 123, 1941.
Schneider P.E., Peterson J.: Oral habits: considerations in management. Pediatr. Clin. North Am., 29, 523, 1982.
Walker B.A., Ziskind E.: Relationship of nailbiting to sociopathy: brief communication. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis., 164, 64, 1977.
De Ajuraguerra J.: Manuale di psichiatria del bambino. Milano, Masson, 1987.
Costantino L.: Dal concetto di immagine corporea all’immagine interna. Il sogno della farfalla, III, 1, 1994.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cavaggioni, G., Romano, F. Psychodynamics of onychophagists. Eat Weight Disord 8, 62–67 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324990
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324990