ABSTRACT
Panic buying (PB), an interdisciplinary phenomenon of social and public health relevance, has gained significant attention since the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic. A combination of psychological and social factors has been proposed to explain the genesis of PB. Insights drawn from these theories can potentially inform preventive strategies for PB though empirical research on prevention of PB has been limited. In this chapter, we focus on outlining the possible preventive measures to control PB. The strategies are divided into universal prevention strategies, aimed at the entire population, selective prevention strategies that target vulnerable sub-sections of the population and indicated prevention for those showing early signs of the condition. Universal prevention strategies cover the role of governmental agencies, retailers, media and promotion of kinship/resilience among the public. Selective prevention strategies involve identification of individuals prone to PB, monitoring their behaviour and specifying purchase limits for commodities, while indicated prevention involves referral to mental health professionals for those with co-morbid anxiety or depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)