RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A SCALE TO MEASURE CHANGE IN PERSONS WITHCOMPULSIVE BUYING

A new scale to measure severity and change in persons with compulsive buying is described. Data were gathered during an open-label study in which compulsive buyers were treated with fluvoxamine, a serotonin reu ptake inhibitor. The instrument showed good-to-excellent interrater re liability and high internal consistency. Its 10 separate items showed at least moderate correlations with the total score. The instrument wa s also sensitive to clinical change and correlated highly with other m easures of illness severity. We conclude that this new instrument is b oth reliable and valid in measuring severity and change in persons wit h compulsive buying.