Clinical Manual of Impulse-Control Disorder

Abstract

(create) The impulse-control disorders (ICDs) have burst onto the scene in psychiatry, as well as in popular culture, in recent years. This clinical manual provides cutting-edge, concise, and practical information about the ICDs for use by researchers, clinicians, family members, and individuals with these disorders. Hollander and colleagues (Chapter 1) describe the conceptualization and classification of the ICDs, including the phenomenology, assessment, and classification of impulsivity as a core symptom domain that cuts across and drives the ICDs. Coccaro and Danehy (Chapter 2) highlight the one ICD characterized by impulsive aggression, intermittent explosive disorder (IED). Donovan (Chapter 3) describes childhood conduct disorder and the antisocial spectrum. Simeon (Chapter 4) describes self-injurious behaviors (SIBs), which currently do not fit neatly into the DSM classification system. Allen and Hollander (Chapter 5) highlight sexual compulsions, which have been conceptualized as addictive, impulsive, or compulsive disorders. McElroy and Kotwal (Chapter 6) describe the history of binge eating as a symptom and discuss whether it should be considered as an ICD distinct from other eating, compulsive, and affective disorders. Franklin and colleagues (Chapter 7) describe trichotillomania, an ICD characterized by hair pulling that results in hair loss. Grant (Chapter 8) highlights kleptomania, or the failure to resist impulses to steal, associated with arousal, remorse, and functional impairment. Black (Chapter 9) describes compulsive shopping, or poorly controlled shopping urges leading to functional impairment, which is more common in females and has only recently been studied. Lejoyeux and colleagues (Chapter 10) highlight pyromania, or impulsive behavior leading to motiveless arson. Pallanti and colleagues (Chapter 11) describe pathological gambling as maladaptive and suggest that the disorder is rapidly growing in association with the growth of legalized gambling and Internet gambling, especially among the young. Finally, Goldsmith and Shapira (Chapter 12) describe problematic Internet use, or Internet addiction, which can range from excessive seeking of medical information to dangerous sexual behaviors facilitated by the Internet. Treatment studies are still in their infancy. Stein and colleagues (Chapter 13) describe themes for treatment that run throughout the ICDs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).