Body-focused repetitive behavior problems. Prevalence in a nonreferred population and differences in perceived somatic activity.
Body-focused habits are common in everyday adults and track with heightened body awareness, a link now seen across ages and diagnoses.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Mansell et al. (2002) asked adults in the community about body-focused habits like hair-pulling or skin-picking. No one had been sent for therapy. They also asked how much people noticed everyday body feelings such as heartbeat or stomach gurgles.
The team wanted to know how common these habits are and whether people who notice more body signals also show more habits.
What they found
About one in seven adults met the cutoff for at least one body-focused repetitive behavior. That is far higher than most clinicians guessed.
The same adults also reported stronger everyday body sensations. More noticing went hand-in-hand with more habits.
How this fits with other research
Barton et al. (2019) later showed the same link in kids. Sensory hypersensitivity predicted repetitive behaviors in both autistic and non-autistic children. The pattern crosses age and diagnosis.
Jones et al. (2010) found the same in autism and developmental delay. Only hyper-responsive sensory scores, not other sensory styles, predicted more repetitive movements. The 2002 survey and the 2010 study point to the same sensory channel.
Chakraborty et al. (2021) added stomach pain and constipation to the list. GI discomfort raised repetitive behaviors in young autistic clients. Body signals, inside or outside, keep showing up as drivers of repetition.
Why it matters
If you treat repetitive behavior, ask about sensory noticing early. A quick sensory checklist can flag clients who pull, pick, or bite before the behavior becomes severe. Targeting body awareness or related discomfort may reduce the habit itself, saving you weeks of response-blocking alone.
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Add a five-item sensory-over-awareness screener to your intake form and note any body-focused habits.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) such as skin picking or scratching and nail biting can be physically and socially detrimental. Given the potential consequences associated with these behaviors, it is unfortunate this area has received relatively limited attention. The two purposes of the current study were (a) to determine the prevalence of BFRBs among typically developing persons and (b) to examine the contribution of reported somatic activity to the occurrence of BFRBs. Results indicated that 13.7% of the sample met criteria for at least one BFRB, of which the most common topography was nail biting. Persons with a BFRB reported significantly more somatic activity than persons without a BFRB. Further analyses revealed consistent findings across three separate topographies in which persons with a BFRB for nail biting, mouth chewing, and/or skin picking reported significantly more somatic activity than did persons without a BFRB. Clinical implications and diagnostic considerations are discussed.
Behavior modification, 2002 · doi:10.1177/0145445502026003003