A recent clinical study has found that compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) affects men and women with similar psychological severity, but there are notable differences in the types of products each gender tends to purchase. The research, published in Scientific Reports, analyzed data from 141 adults (104 women and 37 men) who sought treatment for CBSD at two outpatient clinics in Germany between 2017 and early 2025.
Participants completed standardized questionnaires before receiving any treatment, providing information on demographics, shopping preferences, and mental health symptoms. Compulsive buying was measured using the Pathological Buying Screener (PBS), anxiety with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Statistical analysis included chi-square tests for categorical variables and the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables. Researchers also applied a Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons.
The study found no significant differences between men and women regarding age, education level, or relationship status. Both groups showed high rates of comorbid psychiatric conditions; approximately 73% of participants were diagnosed with depression. Other common conditions included eating disorders, compulsive hoarding, PTSD, personality disorders, and anxiety disorders.
While initial results suggested higher rates of depression and eating disorders among women, these differences were not statistically significant after correcting for multiple testing. The overall psychiatric profiles of men and women seeking treatment for CBSD were broadly similar.
Product preferences revealed clearer gender distinctions. Women reported more frequent compulsive purchases of clothing, shoes, bags, cosmetics, jewelry, household items, and food-related products. Men tended to focus their compulsive shopping on electronic goods. These findings reflect general consumer trends influenced by sociocultural norms and gender expectations.
Despite variations in product choices, both genders reported similar shopping environments—online or offline—and comparable levels of symptom severity as measured by PBS scores. Women scored slightly higher on symptom severity measures; however, the effect size was small and deemed clinically insignificant.
Participation in cognitive-behavioral group therapy was similar across genders: about two-thirds of both men and women engaged in this form of treatment. The researchers concluded that "CBSD affects both men and women with largely similar levels of clinical severity, psychiatric burden, and treatment engagement within treatment-seeking populations. Men and women often buy different things when shopping compulsively: women more often purchase clothing, shoes, bags, cosmetics, and jewelry while men more often purchase electronic devices."
The study suggests that while gender influences specific buying habits among those with CBSD, it does not play a major role in determining overall disorder severity or likelihood to seek treatment. The authors believe these insights could help clinicians develop more targeted approaches to prevention and therapy based on individual patient needs.
