Compulsive buying common among U.S. adults: survey | Health | Reuters.com
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Compulsive buying may be more common among Americans than anxiety or depression, a new study suggests.

One in 20 US adults suffer adverse consequences from compulsive buying, and they make less money than those who keep their shopping under control, Dr. Lorrin M. Koran of Stanford University School of Medicine in California and colleagues found.

“The take-home message of the study is that this is a common problem with serious financial effects,” Koran told Reuters Health. “People who have the problem should seek treatment.”

Koran prefers the term “compulsive buying” to “compulsive shopping,” he said, because it better conveys the seriousness of the problem. People who buy compulsively purchase things they don’t need, don’t use or can’t afford. They lose interest in the things they buy and suffer adverse consequences, such as financial problems or family conflict. Compulsive buyers may also spend time shopping when they should be doing other things, such as working.