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

To address the question of whether pathological buying/shopping differs from both risky and non-problematic buying/shopping.

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).

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.

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.