What is the mental disorder 'pica'?

Before making a diagnosis of pica, the doctor will evaluate the presence of other disorders -- such as mental retardation, developmental disabilities, or obsessive-compulsive disorder -- as the cause of the odd eating behavior. read more

Pica is a psychological disorder characterized by an appetite for substances that are largely non-nutritive, such as ice ; hair (trichophagia); paper (xylophagia); drywall or paint; metal (metallophagia); stones (lithophagia) or soil ; glass (hyalophagia); or feces (coprophagia); and chalk. read more

Sometimes pica might be diagnosed in conjunction with another mental disorder diagnosis (such as in autism or schizophrenia). If pica is the focus of clinical attention during treatment in addition to another mental health concern, it should generally also be diagnosed. read more