Empirical support for recognizing pathological buying/shopping as a mental disorder

Abstract

Objective: To address the question of whether pathological buying/shopping differs from both risky and non-problematic buying/shopping. Method: Post-hoc analysis of data collected within the Addiction Research Unit FOR2974. Three predefined groups, as determined by face-to-face diagnostic interviews, were compared: with pathological (pBSh, n = 62), risky (rBSh, n = 62), and non-problematic (control group, CG, n = 117) buying/shopping. Questionnaires were used to assess symptom severity (according to ICD-11 criteria for disorders due to addictive behaviors), functional impairment, craving, experience of gratification/compensation (all modified for buying/shopping), self-esteem, materialism, anxiety, depression, impulsiveness, and self-directedness. The laboratory testing included a cue reactivity paradigm and Go/No-Go affective shifting task with shopping-related cues, and standard tests for general cognitive functions (Stroop test, modified card sorting test, game of dice task, delay discounting task). Results: The pBSh group exhibited more pathological scores in the questionnaires assessing ICD-11 criteria/features for disorders due to addictive behaviors (including distress, harm, gratification/compensation), self-esteem, anxiety, depression and steeper delay discounting than the other groups. Moreover, the pBSh group scored higher on materialism and impulsiveness, showed higher craving, and poorer performance in the Go/No-Go task than the CG. Applying Bonferroni corrected p-values, the groups did not differ in the Stroop test, modified card sorting test and game of dice task. Conclusion: Pathological buying/shopping represents a distinct clinical syndrome that reflects underlying affective and cognitive dysfunctions and results in clinically significant distress and impairments. The findings provide further evidence of its classification as a disorder due to addictive behaviors.