The value of possessions in compulsive hoarding: Patterns of use and attachment

Frost, Randy O.; Hartl, Tamara L.; Christian, Rebecca; Williams, Nicole

doi:10.1016/0005-7967(95)00043-w

Cited by 169 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…There is some evidence in the literature that people who hoard tend to be overly sentimental about their possessions, and perceive possessions as a source of comfort and security. 28 Hoarding was largely associated with emotions of relief, satisfaction and guilt, and all subjects reported some degree of distress if prevented from hoarding. Interestingly, the majority (n = 11) reported that hoarding occurred without preceding obsessional thoughts, arguably consistent with a view of hoarding as analogous to a 'fixed action pattern' or striatally mediated motor program.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Hoarding in obsessive–compulsive disorder and related disorders: A preliminary report of 15 cases

Seedat

Stein

2002

Psychiatry Clin Neurosci

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Hoarding, the repetitive collection of excessive quantities of poorly useable items of little or no value with failure to discard these items over time, is characterized in DSM-IV as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) but has, until recently, received scant empirical investigation. We describe the demographics, phenomenology, associated psychopathology and family history in 15 subjects presenting with hoarding behavior. Fifteen subjects were recruited from an OCD clinic and newspaper advertisement and assessed with the comprehensive Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID I and II), the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and a hoarding questionnaire (devised by the authors). The sample comprised 11 women and four men who hoarded a mean of seven item types, with a mean duration of 13.2 ± 3.9 years (range 2-15 years). Their mean age was 41.8 ± 14.3 years (range 20-65 years). The most common motive for hoarding was the fear of discarding items of practical value. Nine subjects met DSM-IV criteria for OCD, 9 met criteria for OCPD, for symptoms and behaviors other than hoarding, while six subjects met criteria for a putative OCD spectrum disorder (Tourette's, body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania). Six subjects reported little or no control over their hoarding, but only one subject saw her symptoms as an 'illness' warranting treatment. Pathological hoarding is usually a covert and chronic behavior causing distress and/or impairment, and may be related to OCD and OCPD. Hoarding may meet the criterion for a compulsion in DSM-IV, yet there is evidence to suggest that hoarding may manifest in a variety of other psychiatric conditions. While a range of pharmacologic and behavioral treatments have been tried, their effectiveness in managing hoarding behaviors requires additional research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Hoarding in obsessive–compulsive disorder and related disorders: A preliminary report of 15 cases

Seedat

Stein

2002

Psychiatry Clin Neurosci

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“…This, in turn, may arise because they tend to imbue many objects with exaggerated emotional value (Frost, Hartl, Christian, & Williams, 1995). Hoarders may retain apparently useless items because they seek to avoid the emotional turmoil of trying to decide the item's value and whether it warrants keeping.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive aspects of nonclinical obsessive–compulsive hoarding

Luchian

McNally

Hooley

2007

Behaviour Research and Therapy

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Research on the cognitive variables associated with obsessive-compulsive hoarding is scarce. In this study, we investigated cognitive variables that may contribute to the maintenance and possibly etiology of hoarding. College students who characterized themselves as either ''packrats'' (nonclinical hoarders; n ¼ 21) or not (control participants; n ¼ 20) completed questionnaires assessing hoarding behavior and beliefs about hoarding, and completed a task requiring them to categorize diverse objects and trinkets of minimal value into groups. The results revealed that nonclinical hoarders, relative to control participants, rated the categorization task as significantly more stressful and difficult. Relative to control participants, hoarders took longer to complete the task and sorted objects into more categories. These findings suggest that underinclusiveness and indecisiveness, characteristic of clinical hoarders, are evident in nonclinical hoarders as well. r

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“…Research on beliefs about possessions suggests that these beliefs cluster into four basic subtypes: emotional attachment to possessions, poor memory confidence, exaggerated sense of responsibility for possessions, and desire for control over possessions (Frost, Hartl, Christian, & Williams, 1995;Hartl et al, 2004;Steketee, Frost, & Kyrios, 2003).…”

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confidence: 99%

An open trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for compulsive hoarding

Tolin

Frost

Steketee

2007

Behaviour Research and Therapy

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The aim of the present study was to provide preliminary data on the efficacy of a new cognitivebehavioral treatment (CBT) for compulsive hoarding. Fourteen adults with compulsive hoarding (10 treatment completers) were seen in two specialty CBT clinics. Participants were included if they met research criteria for compulsive hoarding according to a semistructured interview, were age 18 or above, considered hoarding their main psychiatric problem, and were not receiving mental health treatment. Patients received 26 individual sessions of CBT, including frequent home visits, over a 7-12 month period between December 2003-February 2005. Primary outcome measures were the Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R), Clutter Image Rating (CIR), and Clinician's Global Impression (CGI). Significant decreases from pre-to post-treatment were noted on the SI-R and CIR, but not the CGI-severity rating. CGI-Improvement ratings indicated that at mid-treatment, 40% (n = 4) of treatment completers were rated "much improved" or "very much improved;" at post-treatment, 50% (n = 5) received this rating. Adherence to homework assignments was strongly related to symptom improvement. CBT with specialized components to address problems with motivation, organizing, acquiring and removing clutter appears to be a promising intervention for compulsive hoarding, a condition traditionally thought to be resistant to treatment.

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The value of possessions in compulsive hoarding: Patterns of use and attachment

Cited by 169 publications

References 9 publications

Hoarding in obsessive–compulsive disorder and related disorders: A preliminary report of 15 cases

Hoarding in obsessive–compulsive disorder and related disorders: A preliminary report of 15 cases

Cognitive aspects of nonclinical obsessive–compulsive hoarding

An open trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for compulsive hoarding

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