Study of compulsive buying in patients presenting obsessive-compulsive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The authors assessed the prevalence of compulsive buying (CB) among patients presenting an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). They compared the buying style of patients with and without CB.


METHODS
One thousand five hundred consecutive patients were assessed by a general practitioner in Paris (France). Sixty patients presenting with OCD were included. Patients with CB associated with OCD (n = 14) were compared with those with "pure" OCD (n = 46). Sixty patients paired for sex and age and free from OCD, depression, and anxiety were also recruited among the clients of the same general practitioner. We compared 3 groups: controls, patients with OCD, and patients with OCD + CB.


RESULTS
Prevalence of CB was 23% (14 cases) among patients with OCD and 6% (4 cases) in controls (chi(2)(1) = 5.3, P = .02). Patients presenting with OCD + CB had a higher number of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Fourth Edition diagnostic criteria for OCD than patients with pure OCD (6.1 and 5.4, respectively, P = .001). Depression was more frequent in the OCD + CB group (78%) than in the OCD group (42%) and in controls (10%) (P = .02). Patients from the OCD + CB group had higher score at the CAGE questionnaire than those of the OCD group (2 vs 0.7, P = .003). Patients with OCD + CB considered 42% of their purchases as occasions not to be passed up compared with 15.4% in the OCD group and 8.6% in controls. OCD+CD patients used the items they bought after a longer delay than controls and patients with pure OCD (8.2 vs 3 and 3.1 days, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Compulsive buying is more frequent in OCD than in controls. Patients presenting with OCD + CB show more depressive disorders and drink more alcohol. They are more highly implicated in the items they buy and they are more often disappointed by the items once they possess them.
Lejoyeux
Michel
M
Department of Psychiatry, Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital, 75877 Paris Cedex 18, AP-HP, France. michel.lejoyeux@bch.ap-hop-paris.fr
Bailly
Florence
F
Moula
Hervé
H
Loi
Sabrina
S
Adès
Jean
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004467:Economics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012737:Sex Factors; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior