Pyromania 

and Kleptomania 

AbdelMuez Siyam
Ahmad Abdulraheem
 Pyromania

• Describes individuals who purposefully and

repeatedly set fires, but unlike arsonists, who
set fires to deliberately damage property.

• Fixation on anything to do with fires: for

example, they might hang out around fire
stations, or watch videos of fires on YouTube.
 DSM-5 Criteria
• At least two episodes of deliberate fire setting.

• Desire or arousal experienced before the act & pleasure,

gratification, or relief experienced when setting fires.

• Purpose of fire setting is not for monetary gain, for

expression of anger, vengeance or conceal criminal
activity.

• It is not in response to a hallucination, delusion, or

impaired judgment (intoxication, neurocognitive disorder).
 Attention
• More common in Men.
• Begins in adolescence or early adulthood.
• High comorbidity with mood disorders,
substance abuse disorders, gambling disorder,
and conduct disorder.
• Waxing and waning in frequency.

• Treatment:
Remains chronic and no standard treatment, CBT, SSRIs,
mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics have have been used.
 Case scenario
• A 14-year-old boy comes to the office to be evaluated for his
behavior. His neighbor recently called the police because he
was seen setting fire to the toolshed in the backyard. The
first time he was caught setting a fire was in his old house
three years ago. His mother subsequently found a collection
of lighters in a cabinet in his room. She says that lately, her
son has been having a difficult time coping with the loss of
his father who was killed on active duty a few months ago.
Her son has since kept to himself, but is planning to be a
volunteer firefighter when he becomes eligible. Which of the
following disorders belongs to the same diagnostic category
as this patient's most likely diagnosis?
Kleptomania
 Kleptomania
• A strong impulse to steal things, not out of need, but out of
the pleasure and relief of tension they feel once they’ve
stolen something.

• Stolen items are of little value to them and could easily

afford.

• Not surprisingly, both pyromania and kleptomania can land

individuals in serious legal trouble.
 DSM-5 Criteria
• Urges to steal objects that are not needed for personal
use or monetary value.

• Pleasure or relief is experienced while stealing (often

report intense guilt and depression).

• Not committed to express anger/vengeance and does

not occur in response to a delusion or hallucination.

• Stolen Objects are typically given or thrown away,

returned, or hoarded.
 Attention
• Three times more common in Women than men, begins in
adolescence and course is episodic.

• Coexisting with mood disorders, eating disorders (especially bulimia

nervosa), anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and
personality disorders.

• Higher risk of OCD and substance use disorders in family members.

• Treatment:

may include CBT (including systematic desensitization and aversive

conditioning) and SSRIs. There is also some anecdotal evidence for the
use of naltrexone, which blocks reward pathways mediated by endogenous
opioids.
Thank you