165 Pyromania (312.33)
Pyromania is characterized by multiple deliberate attempts at fire setting that can provide the individual with psychological gratification and relief (Bayer, 2000). The diagnosis of pyromania does not apply if a person sets fire because he or she is mentally retarded, intoxicated, or has impaired judgment due to a medical condition (Bayer, 2000). An individual is not diagnosed with pyromania if he or she sets fire because of some other psychological disorder (Bayer, 2000). People with pyromania do not set fires to express their emotions, to make money, or to support a political ideology (Bayer, 2000). Their intention is not to destroy evidence of criminal activity or to improve their living situation (Bayer, 2000). Additionally, their fire setting is not a response to a delusion or hallucination (Bayer, 2000).
People with pyromania are fascinated by fire and may be attracted to fire-related equipment such as fire trucks, hoses, and hydrants (Bayer, 2000). They may deliberately seek to observe fires, set false alarms, or associate with fire departments or firefighters (Bayer, 2000). They may spend a great deal of time preparing to set fires (Bayer, 2000). They may be indifferent to the loss of life and property that the fires cause (Bayer, 2000). They may even derive pleasure from thinking about the destruction, danger, and consequences of the fires (Bayer, 2000). Since the individual often derives pleasure from being near fires and the results, he or she often stays in the vicinity of the scene after a fire has been set (Bayer, 2000).
This impulse-control disorder is somewhat rare. Pyromania typically begins in childhood. Males are diagnosed more often than females, particularly males with poor social skills and learning difficulties (Bayer, 2000). The course of the disorder may wax and wane (Bayer, 2000). The disorder often lasts only a few years or during a specific period of an individual’s life (Bayer, 2000). Often, it initially appears during a crisis and disappears after the crisis has dissolved (Bayer, 2000).
Fire Play Versus Fire Setting:
| Fire Play (childhood experimentation) | Fire setting (pyromaniac behavior) |
|---|---|
| 1. The incident occurred only once. | 1. The behavior has recurred. |
| 2. The action was unplanned. | 2. The action was planned. |
| 3. The individual burned paper, trash, or leaves. | 3. The individual used flammable or combustible material to ignite property of some value. |
| 4. The individual burned garbage or his or her own property. | 4. The individual burned someone else’s property, an animal, or a person. |
| 5. The individual went for help or called the fire department. | 5. The individual ran away. |
| (Bayer, 2000) |
DSM-IV-TR criteria
- A. Deliberate and purposeful fire setting on more than one occasion.
- B. Tension or affection arousal before the act.
- C. Fascination with, interest in, curiosity about, or attraction to fire and its situational contexts (e.g., paraphernalia, u