Shopping addiction: notes about the state of the art, with special attention to assessment and treatment strategies

The objective of this article is to summarize what is known to date on the subject of shopping addiction paying special attention to its assessment and treatment. First, a generally agreed upon definition of this addiction is presented and various estimates of its prevalence are given, as well as findings obtained from two types of studies: those carried out in clinical settings and those developed in the field of social sciences. Secondly, the instruments that appear to be most appropriate in diagnosing this kind of addictive behaviour are discussed, and the use of comprehensive assessment strategies in conjunction with the treatment process is advocated. Finally, the main types of intervention are presented, including drug therapy, mutual help, and psychological treatment. A proposal is made of a holistic intervention strategy for shopping addiction based, mainly, on cognitive-behavioral intervention techniques.