Emotion regulation and hoarding symptoms

Using photo‐elicitation and interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore possessions as links to self‐concept and the identities of others in hoarding disorder

“…Even within a non‐hoarding context, IPT can involve helping people examine the possessions left behind by loved ones and manage the associated distress (Weissman & Markowitz, ). Given the association between hoarding behaviour and emotion regulation difficulties (Grisham et al ., ; Taylor, Moulding, & Nedeljkovic, ), a focus upon the loss, validation, and tolerance of feelings – rather than disposal – may initially be beneficial. Regardless of modality, our findings suggest that the relationships surrounding possessions may also be important in facilitating sorting and discarding in HD.…”

A qualitative analysis of emotion and emotion regulation in hoarding disorder

“…For example, from the perspective of Gratz and Roemer's () model, Fernández de la Cruz et al () found that individuals with HD had higher levels of ER difficulties than those of a control group, but that those in individuals with both HD and comorbid obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) were higher still and that ER difficulties were not significantly correlated with three different measures of hoarding symptoms. In contrast, Raines, Boffa, Allan, Short, and Schmidt () found that ER difficulties were significantly positively correlated with hoarding severity in a nonclinical sample with high hoarding symptoms, while Taylor, Moulding, and Nedeljkovic () found ER difficulties were strongly related to hoarding symptoms in two nonclinical samples. Other research has specifically focused on the aspect of the model pertaining to impulse control difficulties—particularly acting impulsively when experiencing positive or negative emotions, also known as positive or negative urgency (Lynam, Smith, Cyders, Fischer, & Whiteside, ).…”

“…Other research has specifically focused on the aspect of the model pertaining to impulse control difficulties—particularly acting impulsively when experiencing positive or negative emotions, also known as positive or negative urgency (Lynam, Smith, Cyders, Fischer, & Whiteside, ). Timpano, Rasmussen, et al (), Phung, Moulding, Taylor, and Nedeljkovic (), and Taylor et al () all found that negative urgency was positively associated with hoarding in nonclinical samples, while Rasmussen, Brown, Steketee, and Barlow () found that a HD diagnosis predicted higher levels of self‐reported negative urgency, although this effect was no longer present after controlling for age.…”

“…From the perspective of Gross’ () model, only one study to date has directly examined the two ER strategies measured by Gross and John's () instrument reflecting the process model of emotion in relation to hoarding, that is, expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal; however, they did not find a relationship between hoarding symptoms and these strategies (Taylor et al, ). In contrast, though, related research on coping has found relationships with hoarding, suggesting further research is important in this area (Miranda, ; Yorulmaz & Dermihan, ).…”

“…EA refers to an unwillingness to endure unpleasant internal experiences (e.g., thoughts, emotions, memories, physiological sensations; Hayes, Wilson, Gifford, Follette, & Strosahl, ). EA has been found to be higher in individuals with compulsive buying than in nonclinical controls (Williams, ), has been related to hoarding symptoms in nonclinical samples (Taylor et al, ; Wheaton, Abramowitz, Franklin, Berman, & Fabricant, ), and has been found to be higher in individuals with HD than than that in nonclinical controls (Fernández de la Cruz et al, ). However, EA has been found to be lower in hoarding than in an anxiety disorder group (Wheaton, Fabricant, Berman, & Abramowitz, ) or a group with OCD (Fernández de la Cruz et al, ).…”