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Compulsive buying: a report of 20 cases.
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1994
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Compulsive buying is a probably common but little studied disorder that can cause significant psychological, interpersonal, and financial difficulties, co‑occur with other psychiatric disorders, and may be treatable. The study aimed to further characterize compulsive buying in 20 patients and propose preliminary diagnostic criteria. The authors evaluated 20 consecutive psychiatric patients with defined compulsive buying features using structured diagnostic interviews, and assessed family psychiatric histories and responses to psychological and biological treatments. Among the 20 patients, 95 % had lifetime mood disorders, 80 % had anxiety disorders, 40 % had impulse control disorders, 35 % had eating disorders, first‑degree relatives showed a high prevalence of mood disorders, and 69 % of those on thymoleptics experienced symptom reduction.
Compulsive buying is a probably common but little studied disorder. To further characterize this syndrome, the authors assessed 20 compulsive buyers.Twenty consecutive psychiatric patients with problematic buying behavior characterized as (1) uncontrollable; (2) markedly distressing, time-consuming, and/or resulting in family, social, vocational, and/or financial difficulties; and (3) not occurring only in the context of hypomanic or manic symptoms were evaluated with structured diagnostic interviews. Family histories of psychiatric disorders and patients' responses to psychological and biological treatments were also assessed.Nineteen (95%) of the compulsive buyers studied had lifetime diagnoses of major mood disorders. Sixteen (80%) had lifetime diagnoses of anxiety disorders, 8 (40%) had impulse control disorders, and 7 (35%) had eating disorders. First-degree relatives displayed a high prevalence of mood disorders. Nine (69%) of 13 patients receiving thymoleptics at the time of compulsive buying episodes reported reduction or remission of their buying symptoms.Compulsive buying may cause significant psychological, interpersonal, and financial difficulties; may co-occur with other psychiatric disorders; may be treatable; and, thus, should be further studied as a mental disorder in its own right. To this end, preliminary operational criteria for its diagnosis are proposed.