Nail-Biting in Subnormal Psychopaths

Nail‐biting in subnormals

“…This is especially apparent in its association with temper tantrums and acts of aggression in the hospital and, in the case of men particularly, its association with a history of larceny and assault sufficient to bring them before the notice of the courts. McKerracher & Watson's (1967) finding is therefore confirmed. It is also relevant to note that in Brandon's (1960) study he chose as an illustrative case of a nail-biter, a child who had been very aggressive as a toddler, who also had a long history of picking at his clothes and buttons, was described by his parents as having ' a wicked temper' and who frequently played with his own genitals.…”

“…In the course of carrying out this survey data were collected from all patients on whether or not they bit their nails severely, slightly or not at all, since a paper by McKerracher & Watson (1967) had made it clear that there was some merit in distinguishing between those who bit their nails severely and those who bit them less so. Brandon (1960) also made this distinction, grading nail-biters on a five-point scale.…”

“…observation rather than by report. McKerracher & Watson's (1967) population was rather a specialized one consisting of subnormal psychopaths in a State hospital with a rather limited age range and a largely male population. No distinctions had been made between male and female nail-biters in that study.…”

The deliberate self‐harming behaviour of patients within a British special hospital

“…Other studies have proposed that self-injury m these settings IS more goal-directed an attempt to relieve an extreme inner tension in the absence of normal outlets denied by confinement (PodvoU 1969, Cullen 1985, Bach-Y-Rita 1974, Offer & Barglow 1960, or extemally directed to alter the interpersonal environment (PodvoU 1969), especially the anticipated hostility from inmates (Power & Spencer 1986) Attention is also drawn to the habitual nature of the behaviour, either as an expression of violence toward one's family and environmental depnvation (Bach-Y-Rita 1974), or as a leamed trans-institutional phenomenon as in the severe 'n£ul-bitmg' of male Rampton clients (McKerracher & Watson 1967) There is impressive evidence indicating that a majonty of 'self-mutilahon' amongst pnsoners occurs within solitary confinement (Jones 1968, Cookson 1977, Johnson 1973, Orchowsky 1978, Ross & McKay 1979, Cullen 1985 Some studies identify the history of previous violent offenses amongst the self-mjunous m custody (Cullen 1985, Bach-Y-Rita 1974, McKen-acher & Watson 1967 A somewhat different onentation is indicated by motivations to gain peer prestige (Offer & Barglow 1960), especially the act of 'carving' as a 'nte of passage' (Ross & McKay 1979) One of the most comprehensive selfharmmg pictures to emerge was of custodial females with a history of psychiatnc treatment and previous custodial expenence, with very low self-esteem, who perceived their environment as unsupportive, and to feel over-controlled by staff (Cullen 1985) In a somewhat similar vein, male schizophrenic pnsoners m custody who had self-mutilated were purported to have a history of chronic unemployment, be members of large families, be sexually inadequate, and whose pnson expenence was so mtolerable that mutilation constituted an 'emotional reaction toward confinement' (Claghom & Beto 1967, Cookson 1977…”

Self-biting with multiple finger amputations following spinal cord injury

“…Within the general population, the most prevalent self-destructive oral habit is fingernail biting, a subject which has received a good deal of attention in the English language medical literature (Azrin, 1980;Ballinger, 1970;Barmann, 1979;Birch, 1955;Bornstein, 1980;Bucher, 1968;Clark, 1970;Davidson, 1980;Deardorff, 1974;Ellerbroek, 1978;Gruenewald, 1965;Hill, 1946;Horne, 1980;Klatte, 1981;Koupernik, 1964;Lowry, 1965;Malone, 1952;MassIer, 1950;McKerracher, 1967;McNamara, 1972;Pennington, 1945;Wechsler, 1931). Such behaviour is usually subtle and often goes unnoticed.…”