One person in twenty, today, is affected by Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs): a set of psychological disorders characterized by chronic and repetitive behaviors inflicted on the body, such as picking, pulling, biting or ingesting hair, hair, skin, nails. These disorders negatively impact the quality of life of those who suffer from them, causing significant discomfort and serious debilitating medical and psychological consequences. Approximately 5% of the world's population is affected: 390 million people of all ages, genders and ethnicities, whose disease is destined to follow a lifelong course, if not recognized and treated properly. Despite this, these disorders are still underestimated and ignored, relegated to a context of misinformation, prejudice, lack of research and adequate support. This thesis paper investigates this scenario in depth, with the primary aim of designing a solution that can improve the quality of life of those suffering from BFRBs. Initially, the functional characteristics of the three most common BFRBs were examined: trichotillomania, dermatillomania, and onychophagia, as well as the complications derived from living with them. It was important, at this stage, to recognize the fundamental role that clinicians and caregivers play in patient well-being and how, in order to design an effective solution, it is necessary to intervene on their needs as well. Second, empirically supported psychological therapies in managing BFRBs were probed, with a particular focus on Habit-Reversal Training, and the few and lacking service or product solutions currently available to patients. The first exploratory phase yielded multiple considerations and challenges to address. In the second phase of the thesis, these have been analyzed and translated into two main areas of intervention: informative and therapeutic, the identification of which was of fundamental importance in order to define the brief and concept of the project. The third phase, finally, consists in the actual development of the project: Anitya, a smart system service-products to support and treat BFRBs. Composed of an application and a family of interconnected devices, it is designed to meet the needs of patients, caregivers and clinicians. Highly customizable, it integrates the principles of Calm Technology and Human-Centered Design. The application helps to raise awareness of diseases and to deal with them, providing different tools depending on the user. The products, on the other hand, intended for patients, perform the function of treatment following a model of action designed ad hoc based on HRT. Nodal is the large amount of data generated by Anitya, to date unknown. This data is fundamental both for the functioning of the system itself and to advance research and identify new and better treatments designed on the user. The Anitya thesis project has a strong social and ethical impact. An intelligent, complete and versatile system in a context that, to date, does not offer effective solutions to the problems related to BFRB.
Una persona su venti, ad oggi, è affetta da Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs): un insieme di disturbi psicologici caratterizzati da comportamenti cronici e ripetitivi inflitti al proprio corpo, come strappare, tirare, masticare o ingerire capelli, peli, pelle, unghie. Queste patologie impattano negativamente sulla qualità della vita di chi ne soffre, causando disagi significativi e gravi conseguenze, mediche e psicologiche, debilitanti. Circa il 5% della popolazione mondiale ne è affetta: 390 milioni di persone di qualsiasi età, genere ed etnia, la cui patologia sarà destinata a seguire un decorso lungo tutta una vita, se non riconosciuta e trattata correttamente. Nonostante ciò, questi disturbi vengono ancora sottovalutati e ignorati, relegati in un contesto di disinformazione, pregiudizio, mancanza di ricerca e supporti adeguati. L’elaborato di tesi indaga approfonditamente questo scenario, con lo scopo primario di progettare una soluzione che possa migliorare la qualità di vita di chi soffre di BFRBs. Inizialmente, sono state esaminate le caratteristiche funzionali dei tre BFRBs più comuni: tricotillomania, dermatillomania e onicofagia, oltre le complicazioni derivate dal conviverci. È stato importante, in questa fase, riconoscere il ruolo fondamentale che i clinici e i caregiver ricoprono nel benessere del paziente e di come, al fine di disegnare una soluzione efficace, sia necessario intervenire anche sui loro bisogni. Secondariamente, sono state sondate le terapie psicologiche empiricamente supportate nel gestire i BFRBs, ponendo un’attenzione particolare sull’Habit-Reversal Training, e le poche e lacunose soluzioni di servizio o prodotto attualmente disponibili per i pazienti. Dalla prima fase esplorativa sono scaturite molteplici considerazioni e sfide da affrontare. Nella seconda fase della tesi sono state analizzate e tradotte in due principali ambiti di intervento: informativo e terapeutico, la cui identificazione è risultata di fondamentale importanza al fine di poter definire brief e concept di progetto. La terza fase, infine, consiste nello sviluppo vero e proprio del progetto: Anitya, un sistema smart servizio-prodotti a supporto e trattamento dei BFRBs. Composto da un’applicazione e una famiglia di dispositivi interconnessi tra loro, è stato ideato per rispondere alle esigenze di pazienti, caregiver e clinici. Altamente personalizzabile, integra i principi della Calm Technology e dello Human-Centered-Design. L’applicazione aiuta a far prendere consapevolezza delle patologie e ad affrontarle, fornendo strumenti differenziati a seconda dell’utente utilizzatore. I prodotti, invece, destinati ai pazienti, assolvono la funzione di trattamento seguendo un modello d’azione disegnato ad hoc basato sull’HRT. Nodale è il gran numero di dati generati da Anitya, ad oggi sconosciuti. Dati fondamentali sia per il funzionamento del sistema stesso che per far avanzare la ricerca e individuare nuovi e migliori trattamenti disegnati sull’utente. Il progetto di tesi Anitya ha un forte impatto sociale ed etico. Un sistema intelligente, completo e versatile in un contesto che, ad oggi, non offre soluzioni efficaci alle problematiche legate alle BFRB.
Anitya. Un sistema prodotto per i body-focused repetitive behaviors
Pellegrino, Laura
2019/2020
Abstract
One person in twenty, today, is affected by Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs): a set of psychological disorders characterized by chronic and repetitive behaviors inflicted on the body, such as picking, pulling, biting or ingesting hair, hair, skin, nails. These disorders negatively impact the quality of life of those who suffer from them, causing significant discomfort and serious debilitating medical and psychological consequences. Approximately 5% of the world's population is affected: 390 million people of all ages, genders and ethnicities, whose disease is destined to follow a lifelong course, if not recognized and treated properly. Despite this, these disorders are still underestimated and ignored, relegated to a context of misinformation, prejudice, lack of research and adequate support. This thesis paper investigates this scenario in depth, with the primary aim of designing a solution that can improve the quality of life of those suffering from BFRBs. Initially, the functional characteristics of the three most common BFRBs were examined: trichotillomania, dermatillomania, and onychophagia, as well as the complications derived from living with them. It was important, at this stage, to recognize the fundamental role that clinicians and caregivers play in patient well-being and how, in order to design an effective solution, it is necessary to intervene on their needs as well. Second, empirically supported psychological therapies in managing BFRBs were probed, with a particular focus on Habit-Reversal Training, and the few and lacking service or product solutions currently available to patients. The first exploratory phase yielded multiple considerations and challenges to address. In the second phase of the thesis, these have been analyzed and translated into two main areas of intervention: informative and therapeutic, the identification of which was of fundamental importance in order to define the brief and concept of the project. The third phase, finally, consists in the actual development of the project: Anitya, a smart system service-products to support and treat BFRBs. Composed of an application and a family of interconnected devices, it is designed to meet the needs of patients, caregivers and clinicians. Highly customizable, it integrates the principles of Calm Technology and Human-Centered Design. The application helps to raise awareness of diseases and to deal with them, providing different tools depending on the user. The products, on the other hand, intended for patients, perform the function of treatment following a model of action designed ad hoc based on HRT. Nodal is the large amount of data generated by Anitya, to date unknown. This data is fundamental both for the functioning of the system itself and to advance research and identify new and better treatments designed on the user. The Anitya thesis project has a strong social and ethical impact. An intelligent, complete and versatile system in a context that, to date, does not offer effective solutions to the problems related to BFRB.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Descrizione: Anitya un sistema prodotto per i Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/176089