Gender-based sociodemographic and criminal characteristics of individuals alleging kleptomania: insights from a forensic psychiatry center in Türkiye.

BACKGROUND

This study investigates gender-based differences among individuals alleging kleptomania during forensic psychiatric evaluations in Türkiye, with attention to diagnostic inflation and potential legal misuse.

METHODS

A total of 158 cases evaluated between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed using standardized forensic psychiatric reports. Sociodemographic variables, offense characteristics, clinical features, and diagnostic outcomes were compared by sex.

RESULTS

Age and education levels did not significantly differ between sexes. Women were more likely to be widowed, steal from commercial settings, target luxury or low/high-value items, and confess to the offense. Men displayed higher rates of alcohol/substance use, mood stabilizer prescription, nighttime offending, and thefts directed at individuals. Kleptomania diagnoses were disproportionately frequent in forensic settings compared with clinical prevalence, suggesting possible strategic invocation for legal advantage. Moreover, behavioral patterns frequently deviated from DSM-5 criteria, raising concerns about malingering.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the need for standardized, multidimensional forensic psychiatric evaluation protocols integrating psychometric assessment and contextual analysis to enhance diagnostic accuracy and ensure reliability in criminal responsibility judgments.