Am J Psychiatry 1991; 148:986-996
Copyright © 1991 by American Psychiatric Association
Kleptomania: making sense of the nonsensical
MJ Goldman
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
OBJECTIVE: Kleptomania, or the irresistible impulse to steal unneeded
objects, is a poorly understood disorder. The objectives of this paper are
to critically review and integrate existing data and to make suggestions
for further research. DATA COLLECTION: Information was gathered by
reviewing the English-language literature on kleptomania. Cases were chosen
for review that approximated the diagnosis as defined in DSM-III-R. These
cases were analyzed in terms of their relationship to previous theories
about the disorder, and larger relevant studies were examined. Using the
data organized into a table, the author explores areas of convergence and
disagreement and discusses the methodological difficulties of the different
studies. FINDINGS: Kleptomania is more common than previously thought. The
"typical" individual with kleptomania is a 35-year-old woman who began to
steal when she was 20 years old. Her thefts bring both relief and guilt.
She probably has not sought treatment on her own but suffers from a
necessary, pervasive, repetitive, and self-destructive act. She may have a
history of sexual dysfunction or sexual preoccupation and may be unhappily
married to an emotionally unsupportive husband. She has been labile and
dysphoric for many years and may have a personality disorder. She has
probably had a tumultuous, stressful childhood and may dissociate.
CONCLUSIONS: The author proposes a biopsychosocial model of the etiology of
kleptomania based on data from the literature. This model emphasizes
possible childhood abuse as a precipitating factor in later development of
kleptomania. More complete research is needed in the study of kleptomania.
