Kleptomania, characterized by repetitive, uncontrollable stealing of items not needed for personal use, is a disabling disorder that often goes unrecognized in clinical practice. Although originally conceptualized as an obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder, emerging evidence (clinical characteristics, familial transmission, and treatment response) suggests that
kleptomania may have important similarities to both addictive and
mood disorders. In particular,
kleptomania frequently co-occurs with
substance use disorders, and it is common for individuals with
kleptomania to have first-degree relatives who suffer from a
substance use disorder. Additionally, there is some suggestion that
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the treatment of choice for
obsessive compulsive disorder, may lack efficacy for
kleptomania. Instead, other medications (
lithium, anti-epileptics, and
opioid antagonists) have shown early promise in treating
kleptomania. Evidence suggests that there may be subtypes of
kleptomania that are more like OCD, whereas others have more similarities to addictive and
mood disorders. Subtyping of individuals with
kleptomania may be a useful way to better understand this behavior and decide on effective treatment interventions.