Anxiety, significant losses, depression, and irrational beliefs in first-offence shoplifters

Objective: To evaluate the relationship among demographic data, anxiety, si gnificant losses, depression, and irrational beliefs reported by first-offe nce shoplifters. Method: One hundred and six adult shoplifters who were first-time offenders completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Men and women were equally likely to be arrested for this offence. The majority of offenders were poor and unemployed. Depression, but not an xiety, was the most common psychiatric disorder associated with shoplifting . Subjects with depression presented the greatest number of irrational beli efs related to shoplifting. Conclusions: The authors suggest 2 categories of shoplifters. those who sho plift through rational choice, and those for whom shoplifting is a response to depression or leads to the fulfilment of some psychological needs. In c onclusion, shoplifting does not have a unitary motive, and the clinical imp lications are that the affective and cog native aspects of shoplifters' beh aviours must be taken into account.