4 - (SYM 57) Efficacy and Feasibility of a Fully-automated Website Delivering AEBT for Adults with Trichotillomania: A Randomized Waitlist-controlled Trial

Trichotillomania has a variety of unique factors that impact treatment accessibility including lack of provider knowledge of the disorder, proximity to providers, and financial burden. Methods like delivering treatment through telehealth or in group settings have been tested and found efficacious. However, unique barriers to treatment access remain. This study tested the efficacy and feasibility of implementing a fully automated, self-help website delivering acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy (AEBT) for adults with trichotillomania (N = 81). Participants were randomized into the treatment or waitlist condition and completed an eight-module, self-paced treatment over eight weeks. The results of this study showed significantly greater changes in trichotillomania symptom severity, psychological inflexibility, depression, stress, and well-being in the treatment condition over the waitlist. In the treatment condition, 53% of participants met treatment responder status. The clinical implications of this study are numerous and are discussed.