Which disorder is defined by a continual urge to steal regardless of economic motive?

Which disorder is defined by a continual urge to steal regardless of economic motive?

• A. Intermittent Explosive Disorder
• B. Kleptomania
• C. Pyromania
• D. Adjustment Disorder

Answer: (B)

Kleptomania is an impulse-control disorder characterized by a recurrent, irresistible urge to steal objects that are not needed for personal use or monetary gain. The defining feature is the tension that builds before the theft and the relief or gratification felt at the moment of stealing, followed by guilt or shame afterward. Because the motive isn’t economic—stealing isn’t about acquiring valued items—it fits the description of a continual urge to steal regardless of financial motive. Intermittent Explosive Disorder involves sudden, explosive episodes of impulsive aggression; Pyromania centers on a compulsive urge to start fires; and Adjustment Disorder is a reaction to a identifiable stressor causing emotional or behavioral symptoms. None of these capture the specific pattern of a persistent impulse to steal without regard to money or use, which is why kleptomania is the best match.

Kleptomania is an impulse-control disorder characterized by a recurrent, irresistible urge to steal objects that are not needed for personal use or monetary gain. The defining feature is the tension that builds before the theft and the relief or gratification felt at the moment of stealing, followed by guilt or shame afterward. Because the motive isn’t economic—stealing isn’t about acquiring valued items—it fits the description of a continual urge to steal regardless of financial motive.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder involves sudden, explosive episodes of impulsive aggression; Pyromania centers on a compulsive urge to start fires; and Adjustment Disorder is a reaction to a identifiable stressor causing emotional or behavioral symptoms. None of these capture the specific pattern of a persistent impulse to steal without regard to money or use, which is why kleptomania is the best match.