Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:35:57.348Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Epidemiology of behavioral dependence: literature review and results of original studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

M. Lejoyeux ,
M. Mc Loughlin  and
J. Adès
M. Lejoyeux*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Hopital Louis Mourier, 178, rue des Renouillers, 92701, Colombes, France
M. Mc Loughlin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Hopital Louis Mourier, 178, rue des Renouillers, 92701, Colombes, France
J. Adès
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Hopital Louis Mourier, 178, rue des Renouillers, 92701, Colombes, France
*
*Correspondence and reprints
Get access

Summary

The extension of the definition of dependence leads to the consideration of some impulsive disorders as a form of dependence disorder. This pathological condition is characterized by the repetitive occurrence of impulsive and uncontrolled behaviors. Other clinical characteristics are failure to resist an impulse, drive or temptation to perform some act harmful to oneself and/or others, an increasing sense of tension or excitement before acting out, and a sense of pleasure, gratification or release at the time of the behavior or shortly thereafter. Behavioral dependences most often described are pathological gambling, kleptomania, trichotillomania and compulsive buying.

Studies using a specific assessment scale, the South Oaks Gambling Screen, distinguished problem gambling from pathological gambling. Social gamblers spend 5% of their money and pathological gamblers 14 to 45%. Prevalence of ‘problem gambling’ is 4% and pathological gambling 2%. Several studies have suggested that the incidence of pathological gambling is eight to ten times greater in alcohol-dependent patients than in the general population.

No systematic study has assessed the prevalence of kleptomania. Data come from case reports. Among subjects arrested after a theft, prevalence of kleptomania varied between 0 and 24%. Trichotillomania prevalence rate is 0.6% among students. Studies using less restrictive diagnostic criteria found a prevalence rate of 3.4% in women and 1.5% in men. The disorder is often unrecognized; 40% of the cases are not diagnosed and 58% of the patients have never been treated.

Prevalence studies of compulsive buying found a rate between 1 and 6% in the general population. Compulsive buying is significantly more frequent among women (90% of the cases). Study of family history of compulsive buyers showed a high frequency of alcohol-dependence disorder (20%) and depression (18%). In all cases of behavioral dependence disorders, a high level of impulsivity and sensation-seeking could determine an increased risk.

Keywords

compulsive buyingdependenceimpulsivitykleptomaniapathological gamblingsensation-seekingtrichotillomania
Type
Original Article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , March 2000 , pp. 129 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Black, D.WRepertinger, SGaffney, G.RGabel, JFamily history and psychiatric comorbidity in persons with compulsive buying: preliminary findings. Am J Psychiatry 15 1998 960–963CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bohn, M.JMeyer, R.ETypologies of addiction.Galanter, MKleber, H.DAmerican Psychiatric Press textbook of substance abuse treatment. 1994 Washington: American Psychiatric Press 11–24Google Scholar
Blume, S.BPathological gamblingMiller, N.SThe principles and practice of addictions in psychiatry. 1997 Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company 422–432Google Scholar
Christenson, G.AMackenzie, T.BMitchell, J.ECharacteristics of 60 adult chronic hair pullers. Am J Psychiatry 148 1991 365–370Google ScholarPubMed
Christenson, GFaber, R.JDeZwaan, MRaymond, N.CSpecker, S.MEkern, M.D et al. Compulsive buying: descriptive characteristics and psychiatric comorbidity. J Clin Psychiatry 55 1994 5–11Google ScholarPubMed
Christenson, G.ACrow, S.JThe characterization and treatment of trichotillomania. J Clin Psychiatry 57 Suppl 8 1996 42–49Google ScholarPubMed
Cohen, L.JStein, D.JSimeon, DSpadaccini, ERosen, JAronowitz, B et al. Clinical profile, comorbidity, and treatment history in 123 hair pullers: a survey study. J Clin Psychiatry 56 1995 319–326Google ScholarPubMed
Devlin, A.SPeppard, D.M JrCasino use by college students. Psychol Rep 78 1996 899–906CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edwards, GProblems and dependence: the history of two dimensions.Lader, Mwards, GDrummond, D.CThe nature of alcohol and drug related problems. 1992 Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications 1–13Google Scholar
Faber, R.JO'Guinn, T.CA clinical screener for compulsivie buying. J Consumer Res 19 1992 459–469CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldman, M.JKleptomania: making sense of the nonsensical. Am J Psychiatry 148 1991 986–996Google ScholarPubMed
Lejoyeux, MAdès, JTassain, VSolomon, JPhenomenology and psychopathology of uncontrolled buying Am J Psychiatry 155 1996 1524–1529Google Scholar
Lejoyeux, MTassain, VSolomon, JAdès, JStudy of compulsive buying in depressed patients. J Clin Psychiatry 58 1997 169–173CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lejoyeux, MFeuché, NLoi, SSolomon, JAdès, JStudy of impulse control disorders among alcohol-dependent patients. J Clin Psychiatry 40 1999 302–305CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lesieur, H.RHeineman, MPathological gambling among youthful multiple substance abusers in a therapeutic community. Br J Addict 83 1988 765–771CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McElroy, S.LPope, H.G JrHudson, J.IKeck, P.E JrWhite, K.LKleptomania: a report of 20 cases. Am J Psychiatry 148 1991 652–657Google ScholarPubMed
McElroy, S.LKeck, P.E JrPope, H.G JrSmith, J.M.RStrakowski, S.MCompulsive buying: a report of 20 cases. J Clin Psychiatry 55 1994 242–248Google ScholarPubMed
McElroy, S.LKeck, P.E JrPhillips, K.AKleptomania, compulsive buying, and binge-eating disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 56 Suppl 4 1995 14–26Google ScholarPubMed
Marks, IBehavioural (non-chemical) addictions Br J Addict 85 1990 1389–1394CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarasalo, EBergman, BToth, JPersonality traits and psychiatric and somatic morbidity among kleptomaniacs. Acta Psychiatr Scand 94 1996 358–364CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Volberg, R.ASteadman, H.JRefining prevalence estimates of pathological gambling. Am J Psychiatry 145 1988 502–505Google ScholarPubMed
Volberg, R.ABanks, S.MA review of two measures of pathological gambling in the United States. J Gambl Stud 6 1990 153–163CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westphal, J.RRush, JPathological gambling in Louisiana: an epidemiological perspective. J La State Med Soc 148 1996 353–358Google Scholar
Zuckerman, MEysenck, SEysenck, H.JSensation seeking in England and in America: cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons. J Consult Clin Psychol 46 1978 139–149CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.