Pyromania

The World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (11th Revision) ICD-11, regarded as the global standard, was released in June 2018 and came into full effect from January 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/news/item/18-06-2018-who-releases-new-international-classification-of-diseases-(icd-11)|title=WHO releases new International Classification of Diseases (ICD 11) |website=World Health Organization |type=Press Release |access-date=29 October 2021}}{{Cite report | vauthors = Pickett D, Anderson RN | title=Status on ICD-11: The WHO Launch | url=https://ncvhs.hhs.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICD-11_WHO-v_7-17-2018.pdf | date=18 July 2018 | publisher=CDC/NCHS}} It states the following about pyromania:{{cite web|url=https://www.findacode.com/icd-11/code-1532500290.html|title=6C70 Pyromania|access-date=13 February 2025}}

{{Blockquote|text=Pyromania is characterised by a recurrent failure to control strong impulses to set fires, resulting in multiple acts of, or attempts at, setting fire to property or other objects, in the absence of an apparent motive (e.g., monetary gain, revenge, sabotage, political statement, attracting attention or recognition). There is an increasing sense of tension or affective arousal prior to instances of fire setting, persistent fascination or preoccupation with fire and related stimuli (e.g., watching fires, building fires, fascination with firefighting equipment), and a sense of pleasure, excitement, relief or gratification during, and immediately after the act of setting the fire, witnessing its effects, or participating in its aftermath.|title=ICD-11|source=chapter 6, section C70}}

It also notes that pyromania has no relation to intellectual impairment, substance abuse, or other mental and behavioral disorder. ICD-11 was produced by professionals from 55 countries out of the 90 countries involved and is one of the most widely used reference worldwide by clinicians, with the other being the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR from 2022, DSM-5 from 2013, or their predecessors).

The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, First Edition, released in 1952, categorized pyromania as a subset of Obsessive–compulsive disorder. In the Second Edition, the disorder was dropped. In the Third Edition, it returned under the category of impulse-control disorders.{{cite web |url=https://www.emergency-live.com/firefighters/pyromania-icd-11-classification-causes-symptoms-characteristics-risks-treatment-medication/ |title=Pyromania: ICD-11 Classification, Causes, Symptoms, Characteristics, Risks, Treatment, Medication |last=Antonino |first=Cristiano |date=4 May 2022 |website=emergency-live.com |publisher=Emergency Live |access-date=30 July 2022}}

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), released in 2022, states that the essential feature of pyromania is "the presence of multiple episodes of deliberate and purposeful fire setting."{{cite book | last = American Psychiatric Association| author-link = American Psychiatric Association | title = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (Text Revision) | volume = 1 | pages = 476–477 |date = May 2013 |publisher = American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. | location = Arlington, VA, USA | isbn = 978-0-89042-555-8 |title-link = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders }} Pyromania moved from the DSM-4 chapter "Impulse-Control Disorders Not Otherwise Specified," to the chapter "Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders" in DSM-5.{{cite web |title=Highlights of Changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5 |url=http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/DSM/DSM-5/Changes-from-DSM-IV-TR--to-DSM-5.pdf |date=17 May 2013 |publisher=American Psychiatric Association |archive-date=26 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226050453/http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/DSM/DSM-5/Changes-from-DSM-IV-TR--to-DSM-5.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Most studied cases of pyromania occur in children and teenagers.{{r|gale1998}} There is a range of causes, but an understanding of the different motives and actions of fire setters can provide a platform for prevention. Common causes of pyromania can be broken down into two main groups: individual and environmental. This includes the complex understanding of factors such as individual temperament, parental psychopathology, and possible neurochemical predispositions.{{cite journal|title=Pyromania and Firesetting Behaviors |journal=Psychiatric Annals |first=Stephen M |last=Soltys |date=1 February 1992 |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=79–83 |doi=10.3928/0048-5713-19920201-10 }} Many studies have shown that patients with pyromania were in households without a father figure present.{{cite book|title=Kaplan & Sadock's Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry|author1=Sadock, B.J.|author2=Sadock, V.A.|date=2008|publisher=Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|isbn=9780781787468|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ubG51n2NgfwC|page=365|access-date=27 February 2015}}

Environmental factors that may lead to pyromania include an event that the patient has experienced in the environment they live in. Environmental factors include neglect from parents and physical or emotional abuse in earlier life. Other causes include early experiences of watching adults or teenagers using fire inappropriately and lighting fires as a stress reliever.{{r|frey}}

The appropriate treatment for pyromania varies with the age of the patient and the seriousness of the condition. For children and adolescents treatment usually is cognitive behavioral therapy sessions in which the patient's situation is diagnosed to find out what may have caused this impulsive behavior. Once the situation is diagnosed, repeated therapy sessions usually help continue to a recovery.{{r|frey}} Other important steps must be taken as well with the interventions and the cause of the impulse behavior. Some other treatments include parenting training, over-correction/satiation/negative practice with corrective consequences, behavior contracting/token reinforcement, special problem-solving skills training, relaxation training, covert sensitization, fire safety and prevention education, individual and family therapy, and medication. The prognosis for recovery in adolescents and children with pyromania depends on the environmental or individual factors in play, but is generally positive. Pyromania is generally harder to treat in adults, often due to lack of cooperation by the patient. Treatment usually consists of more medication to prevent stress or emotional outbursts, in addition to long-term psychotherapy.{{r|frey}} In adults, however, the recovery rate is generally poor, and if an adult does recover, it usually takes a longer period of time.{{r|frey}}

Pyromania was thought in the 1800s to be a concept involved with moral insanity and moral treatment, but had not been categorized under impulse control disorders. Pyromania is one of the four recognized types of arson alongside burning for profit, to cover up an act of crime, and for revenge. Pyromania is the second most common type of arson.{{cite journal|url=http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1967-12122-001 |title=ARSON: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PYROMANIA. |date=1 January 1967 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509015320/http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1967-12122-001 |archive-date=9 May 2015 }} Common synonyms for pyromaniacs in colloquial English include firebug (US) and fire raiser (UK), but these also refer to arsonists. Pyromania is a rare disorder with an incidence of less than one percent in most studies; also, pyromaniacs hold a very small proportion of psychiatric hospital admissions.{{cite web|url=https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/bfab/bfab009.html|date=1 March 2005|title=The arsonist's mind: part 2 – pyromania|publisher=Australian Institute of Criminology|url-status=dead|access-date=16 September 2021|archive-date=21 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621130849/https://aic.gov.au/publications/bfab/bfab009.html}} Pyromania can occur in children as young as age three, though such cases are rare. Only a small percentage{{Quantify|date=June 2011}} of children and teenagers arrested for arson are child pyromaniacs. A preponderance of the individuals are male;{{cite book|last=Barker|first=A.F.|date=1994|title=Arson: A Review of the Psychiatric Literature|publisher=Oxford University Press}} one source states that ninety percent of those diagnosed with pyromania are male.{{r|gale1998}} Based on a survey of 9,282 Americans using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, impulse-control problems such as gambling, pyromania and compulsive shopping collectively affect 9% of the population.{{Cite journal |last=Alspach |first=Grif |date=1 August 2005 |title=1 – 2 – 3 – 4... Mental Illness Out the Door? |url=https://aacnjournals.org/ccnonline/article/25/4/8/11651/1-2-3-4-Mental-Illness-Out-the-Door |access-date=2021-09-16 |journal=Critical Care Nurse |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=8–10 |language=en |doi=10.4037/ccn2005.25.4.8|pmid=16034028 |doi-access=free }} A 1979 study by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration found that only 14% of fires were started by pyromaniacs and others with mental illness.{{cite journal|title=The Risk of Fire – Statistical Data Included|date=1 October 1999|journal=Risk & Insurance|first=Thomas E.|last=Smith}} A 1951 study by Lewis and Yarnell, one of the largest epidemiological studies conducted, found that 39% of those who had intentionally set fires had been diagnosed with pyromania.{{cite book|first=Robert E.|last=Hales|title=The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry|date=2008|publisher=American Psychiatric Pub |isbn=9781585622573|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2RzFWRIAsPAC&pg=PA791}}

• Child pyromaniac
• Firefighter arson
• Macdonald triad
• Pyrophobia – the hatred or fear of fire
• Pyrophilia – arousal or sexual gratification involving fire

{{Reflist}}

{{Wiktionary|pyromania}}

{{Medical resources

| DiseasesDB =

| ICD10 = {{ICD10|F|63|1|f|60}}

| ICD9 = {{ICD9|312.33}}

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| MedlinePlus =

| eMedicineSubj =

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| MeshID = D005391

|ICD11={{ICD11|6C70}}}}

{{Fire}}

Category:Fire

Category:Habit and impulse disorders

Category:Mania

Category:Public safety

Category:Impulse-control disorders