A Psychiatric Review on Kleptomania / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Kleptomania is a disabling disorder, which results in intense personal shame, as well as familial, social, and legal problems. Despite its serious results, kleptomania remains poorly understood by the general public, clinicians, and the patients themselves. This study aimed to review the clinical characteristics, comorbidity, neurobiology, and treatment options of patients with kleptomania. METHODS: Domestic and international databases were searched using the keywords of "kleptomania" and "shoplifting". The search included articles published until May, 2010. RESULTS: The searches identified 252 articles. After excluding those which were overlapping in content or outside the scope of this study, a total of 65 articles remained for inclusion in this review. In general, the onset of kleptomania occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood, and the disorder is more common among women. Lifetime psychiatric comorbidity is frequent. Patients with kleptomania experience a significant decline in social and occupational functioning. Evidence suggests that kleptomania responds well to both pharmacological and psychosocial interventions. CONCLUSION: There is a need for mental health professionals to recognize and treat patients with kleptomania. More research into the etiology and treatment of this disorder, including studies involving double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, is required.

A Psychiatric Review on Filicide / 대한법의학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Filicide, the murder of a child by his or her own parent, is a multifaceted phenomenon with diverse causes and characteristics. This study aimed to review the present state of knowledge regarding demographic, psychosocial, clinical, and legal characteristics of filicide. METHODS: Domestic and International database were systematically searched with keyword of "filicide" for studies published until October, 2010, in English or Korean. Of the 107 searched articles, those that were overlapped in contents or out of the scope of this review were excluded. Finally, total 88 literatures were included in this review. RESULTS: The characteristics of the parents who committed filicide varied greatly by the type of the sample enrolled in studies. The results of the review suggested that little is known about the factors that confer victimization risk to children. The legal punishment was also different by nations. CONCLUSION: Given the range of capability of filicide, mental health professionals should be alert to the possibility of filicide in a variety of parents. A systematic and more focused research to elucidate reliable predictors of filicide is needed to better prevent these tragic events.