BACKGROUND: Trichotillomania is a common psychiatric disorder in children, and the social stigma associated with the disorder and the challenges of caregiving often induce shame among parents. This study aims to investigate shame and its influencing factors among parents of children with trichotillomania, to provide a scientific basis for clinical family management. METHODS: A crosssectional survey was conducted among parents of children with trichotillomania treated in our hospital. The general information questionnaire and the Family Version of the Child Chronic Disorder Shame Scale were used for data collection. Univariate analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to explore the influencing factors of parental shame. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: not applicable. RESULTS: = 0.602), with no severe multicollinearity (VIF < 1.5). CONCLUSION: Parents of children with trichotillomania experience a moderate level of shame, which appears to be associated with multiple factors including parental demographic characteristics, disorderrelated knowledge, and the child's disorder duration. These findings suggest that targeted strategies-such as plainlanguage education for parents with lower educational levels, early postdiagnosis support, structured psychoeducation, peer support for younger parents, and telemedicine outreach for rural families-may help alleviate parental shame and enhance the quality of family care. Further research with longitudinal designs and multicenter samples is warranted to confirm these associations.
Zhang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.