Gender-related Differences in Individuals Seeking Treatment for Kleptomania

Abstract

Objective-Understanding variations in disease presentation in men and women is clinically important as differences may reflect biological and sociocultural factors and have implications for prevention and treatment strategies. Few empirical investigations have been performed in kleptomania, particularly with respect to gender-related influences. Method-From 2001 to 2007, 95 adult subjects (n=27 [28.4%] males) with DSM-IV kleptomania were assessed on sociodemographics and clinical characteristics including symptom severity, comorbidity, and functional impairment to identify gender-related differences.Results-Men and women both showed substantial symptom severity and functional impairment. Compared to affected men, women with kleptomania were more likely to be married (47.1% compared to 25.9%; p=.039), have a later age at shoplifting onset (20.9 compared to 14 years; p=.001), steal household items (p<.001), hoard stolen items (p=.020), and have an eating disorder (p=.017) and less likely to steal electronic goods (p<.001) and have another impulse control disorder (p=.018).Conclusions-Kleptomania is similarly associated with significant impairment in women and men. Gender-related differences in clinical features and co-occurring disorders suggest that prevention and treatment strategies incorporate gender considerations.

Treating kleptomania: cross-cultural adaptation of the Kleptomania Symptom Assessment Scale and assessment of an outpatient program

“…The P-K-SAS scores obtained from patients in initial treatment were consistent with those reported in other studies [27,28], confirming the suitability of this version of the K-SAS. The division of the instrument evaluation process into two parts contributed to more rigorous refinement of the instrument.…”

Introduction to Behavioral Addictions

“…Emotional dysregulation may contribute to cravings in both behavioral and substance use disorders (8). Many people with pathological gambling, kleptomania, compulsive sexual behavior, and compulsive buying report a decrease in these positive mood effects with repeated behaviors or a need to increase the intensity of behavior to achieve the same mood effect, analogous to tolerance (9–11). Many people with these behavioral addictions also report a dysphoric state while abstaining from the behaviors, analogous to withdrawal.…”

Shopping addiction

“…There seems to be an interesting relationship between kleptomania and compulsive buying. Grant & Potenza (2008), in their study of 95 adults with kleptomania, found that 14.7% of the women and 11% of the men were also compulsive buyers. As already mentioned, Schlosser et al (1994) also found that kleptomania was the most common impulsecontrol disorder in compulsive buyers.…”