As assessment of the medical and psychiatric features of 135 shoplifters referred to Bondi Junction Mental Health Centre (Australia) revealed that motives for shoplifting are often complex and multiple, and may be unconscious. Common motives in young offenders are excitement, peer pressure, alienation, rebellion, and revenge coupled with boredom, impatience, and temptation. This group of referrals had a variety of psychiatric problems: 43 stole for personal gain, 35 had depression, 29 neurotic problems, 7 intoxication, 5 physical illness, 3 dementia, 3 kleptomania, and 10 had no apparent motive. Only the most disturbed of this group were referred to psychiatrists. The following people should probably be referred for psychiatric of psychosocial treatment: those with a past history of parasuicide, those with a family history of psychiatric illness, those currently experiencing persistent dysphoric symptoms, and those currently receiving treatment for chronic medical illnesses. The incidence of kleptomania is uncommon. A psychiatrist is primarily concerned with identifying biopsychosocial factors which may be causing symptoms independent of shoplifting. Psychiatrists should look for physical illnesses, past psychiatric disorders, and recent losses. Shoplifting is not a medical or psychiatric problem, although possibly 10 percent of shoplifting as a whole have an organic or psychological component which has impaired their honesty. More intensive, systematic prospective research into the psychosocial backgrounds of a consecutive cohort of all shoplifters is needed. Objective criteria should be established for identifying potential repeat offenders. Nineteen footnotes are provided.