Diagnosing pyromania

Pyromania is rarely diagnosed, in part because of the strict diagnostic criteria and lack of research. It’s also often hard to diagnose because someone would need to actively seek help, and many people don’t.

Sometimes pyromania is only diagnosed after a person goes in for treatment for a different condition, such as a mood disorder like depression.

During treatment for the other condition, a mental health professional may seek out information about personal history or symptoms the person worries about, and fire-starting may come up. From there, they can further evaluate to see whether the person fits the diagnostic criteria for pyromania.

If someone is charged with arson, they may also be evaluated for pyromania, depending on their reasons behind starting the fire.