Validation of the clutter image rating in older adults with hoarding disorder

Abstract

Background-The Clutter Image Rating (CIR) was created to meet a gap in the research on compulsive hoarding: how to ascertain clutter level in an individual's home without a home visit, as not all clinicians have the ability to conduct a home visit. The CIR has proven itself to be both reliable and valid for use in adults with compulsive hoarding symptoms. However, there is currently a dearth of information on performance of the CIR in older adults diagnosed with hoarding disorder (HD). Because older adults have increased medical issues, including fall risks, evaluating the level of clutter in the house is especially critical in geriatric populations.

Validation of the clutter image rating (CIR) scale among psychiatric outpatients in Singapore

“…This was in line with Frost et al [9] who found participants' CIR scores in the clinic and at home to be more strongly correlated with their ratings of the SI-R clutter subscale than with the other SI-R subscales. Likewise, the current results were also supported by Dozier and Ayers's [21] study among adults aged 40–87 years old. The CIR score was significantly correlated with the SI-R total and the SI-R Clutter subscale in both the late life sample (adults aged 60–87 years) and in the mid-life sample (adults aged 40–59 years) [21].…”

“…Likewise, the current results were also supported by Dozier and Ayers's [21] study among adults aged 40–87 years old. The CIR score was significantly correlated with the SI-R total and the SI-R Clutter subscale in both the late life sample (adults aged 60–87 years) and in the mid-life sample (adults aged 40–59 years) [21]. Furthermore, the CIR score was not found to be significantly related to the ‘difficulty discarding’ and ‘acquisition’ subscales of the SI-R in both their samples [21].…”

“…The CIR score was significantly correlated with the SI-R total and the SI-R Clutter subscale in both the late life sample (adults aged 60–87 years) and in the mid-life sample (adults aged 40–59 years) [21]. Furthermore, the CIR score was not found to be significantly related to the ‘difficulty discarding’ and ‘acquisition’ subscales of the SI-R in both their samples [21]. Dozier and Ayers [21] also noted significant associations between the CIR and the ADL-H in both their late-life and the mid-life sample, a finding that paralleled our result.…”

“…Although the CIR has been extensively used in studies to assess hoarding behavior, its utility has mainly been established in Western populations [9, 21]; to our knowledge, no such validation studies have been conducted in Asia. Possible cultural differences in hoarding symptoms have been found in studies which have validated the SI-R scale [22].…”

Age of onset and progression of hoarding symptoms in older adults with hoarding disorder

“…The CIR is a 3-item pictorial assessment of clutter in which the participant selects a picture that best matches the level of clutter in three rooms of their home (kitchen, living room, and bedroom). The CIR has been validated in older adults (Dozier & Ayers, 2015). Internal reliability was adequate for both hoarding severity measures (SI-R total: α = .90; CIR: α = .86).…”