Associations between compulsive buying and substance dependence/abuse, major depressive episodes, and generalized anxiety disorder among men and women

Chenshu Zhang, Judith S. Brook, Carl G. Leukefeld, David W. Brook

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the associations between compulsive buying and substance dependence/abuse, major depressive episodes, and generalized anxiety disorder at the mean age of 43. Participants came from a community-based random sample of residents in 2 New York counties in 1975 (N = 548). The participants were followed from adolescence to early midlife. The mean age of participants at the most recent interview was 43.0 (standard deviation = 2.8). Of the participants, 55% were females. Over 90% of the participants were Caucasian. The prevalence of substance dependence/abuse, major depressive episodes, and generalized anxiety disorder (during the past 5 years before the interviews) was 6.6, 13.7, and 11.5%, respectively. Logistic regression analyses showed that compulsive buying was significantly associated with substance dependence/abuse (adjusted odds ratio = 1.60), major depressive episodes (adjusted odds ratio = 1.70), and generalized anxiety disorder (adjusted odds ratio = 1.63), despite controlling for substance dependence/abuse, major depressive episodes, and generalized anxiety disorder, respectively, at the mean age of 37, and demographic factors. Since the study sample is limited to predominantly Caucasian participants (over 90%) with a close association to a small geographic area, the findings may not be generalizable to racial/ethnic minority groups or individuals living in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, it is important that clinicians treating substance dependence/abuse, major depressive episodes, and generalized anxiety disorder consider the role of compulsive buying.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)298-304
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Addictive Diseases
Volume35
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institutes of Health (NIH)R01DA032603
National Childhood Cancer Registry – National Cancer InstituteR01CA122128

    Keywords

    • Compulsive buying
    • generalized anxiety disorder
    • longitudinal studies
    • major depressive episode
    • public health
    • substance dependence/abuse

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Medicine (miscellaneous)
    • Clinical Psychology
    • Psychiatry and Mental health

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