Several authors have articulated the need for broader theories or models to account for multiple forms of compulsive or addictive consumption. Development of these broader theories requires more information regarding the overlap and interrelationship of specific consumption disorders. Two studies are presented here to examine the comorbidity of compulsive buying and eating disorders involving binge eating. Study 1 found that women diagnosed as having binge eating disorder had significantly greater compulsive buying tendencies than nonbinge eaters of similar weight. Study 2 showed that compulsive buyers were more likely to have engaged in binge eating, had more symptoms characteristic of both binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, and llliere more likely to be clinically diagnosed as having an eating disorder than a matched control group.
Little systematic research has been done on psychiatric comorbidity of pathological gambling, an impulse control disorder. This report describes the occurrence of attention deficit disorder and impulse control disorders in 40 pathological gamblers in treatment for gambling problems and 64 controls. Diagnoses were made by structured interviews which utilized operationalized diagnostic criteria. An impulse control disorder other than pathological gambling was noted in 35% of the pathological gamblers, compared to 3% of the controls (p < .001). Compulsive buying (p < .001) and compulsive sexual behavior (p < .05) were significantly higher in pathological gamblers than controls. A strong association was seen among pathological gambling, attention deficit, and other impulse control disorders. Attention deficit disorder was seen in 20% of the pathological gamblers. Rates of impulse control disorders did not differ by gender. Implications of these high rates of comorbidity are discussed.
Adult trichotillomania is a chronic disorder, frequently involving multiple hair sites, and is associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidity. Its relation to obsessive-compulsive disorder requires further clarification. The tension-reduction requirement in DSM-III-R for the diagnosis of trichotillomania may be overly restrictive.
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