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ebsco.com
research
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/health-and-medicine/hoarding
Hoarding is a compulsive behavior characterized by the excessive acquisition and inability to discard a wide range of items, including objects, animals, and even trash. Often linked to other mental health conditions such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hoarding leads to significant distress and impairment in daily functioning. While the exact causes of hoarding are not fully understood, factors like stressful life events, social isolation, and difficulties in [...] Those who hoard often feel an emotional attachment to their belongings, which can include items of little practical value. This accumulation can create unsafe living conditions, impacting both the hoarder and others in their environment. Treatment approaches typically focus on behavior modification, with strategies that help individuals reassess their relationship with possessions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) may be utilized to address underlying mental patterns, while medication can [...] For a diagnosis of hoarding disorder, the behavior must either cause distress to the individual or impairment in the person's functioning. A large percent of hoarders also buy compulsively. Hoarding may be comorbid with OCD, clinical depression, attention-deficit disorder, psychosis, or other disorders; however, these other conditions cannot better explain the behavior for a hoarding disorder diagnosis to be made.
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deconstructingstigma.org
article
https://deconstructingstigma.org/guides/hoarding-disorder
The emotional impact can be profound. Stress, shame, and anxiety are common experiences, and hoarding disorder often co-occurs with other mental health conditions. The accumulation of items can interfere with daily routines. It can also create serious safety and health risks, making everyday life more difficult.
Hoarding disorder is more widespread than many realize. According to the American Psychiatric Association, it affects about 2.6% of adults worldwide, across cultures and genders. [...] Often misrepresented in media and popular culture, hoarding disorder is widely misunderstood. It is a mental health condition marked by persistent difficulty discarding items, even those with little or no value. This can lead to cluttered, sometimes unsafe living spaces that affect both the individual and those around them. [...] People with the condition continue to accumulate things even when they run out of room or don’t need the items. Because people with hoarding disorder often store objects in their homes, it can be some time before others find out that someone is hoarding.
Many people with hoarding disorder may avoid letting other people enter their homes. This can lead to isolation, which further worsens many mental health issues.
Signs and symptoms of hoarding disorder include:
P
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
official
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10598241
## . It is likely under-reported as people who are hoarding often do not come to see a mental health professional as they lack awareness of the problem (anosognosia) . Patients with hoarding disorder have persistent difficulty discarding their possessions regardless of their value to them. The act of discarding items gives rise to feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, and the inability to do so is known to be associated with a significant amount of shame and distress to the hoarders. The [...] task completion, and disorganization . These factors, along with the enormous amount of guilt and humiliation associated with compulsive cluttering, can have a harmful influence on the mental well-being of hoarders . Family members often fail to convince the hoarders to see the intensity of the problem and seek help. This can cause straining of intrafamilial relationships [1,6], especially between spouses living in the same house, leading to an increased number of broken families and an [...] families and an escalated rate of failed marriages . It keeps progressing with time until brought to attention and becomes difficult to treat as the severity of the disease increases . Overall, hoarding disorder can cause remarkable deterioration in the social, physical, and mental functioning of the individual [5,9]. However, very scant literature is available in context to the impact of hoarding on the spouse and the ways to better address the issue.
A
apa.org
article
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/ce-corner-hoarding
Hoarding isn’t just a mental health disorder—it’s also a public health problem. Pest management can be difficult in the homes of people who hoard. Their windows and doors can become blocked and walkways impassible, making their homes unsafe not only for themselves but also for first responders such as firefighters. That’s why many cities have formed task forces to address the public health risks. Such task forces often involve social services, public health, housing code enforcement, and even [...] “Hoarding is distinct from many other mental health disorders because intervention often requires the engagement of the community,” says Kysow. Her adviser, Woody, is studying the outcomes of interventions by community-based hoarding coalitions such as the Vancouver Hoarding Action Response Team, a joint initiative between the local provincial health system and the fire and rescue prevention division (Bratiotis, C., et al., Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services [...] One reason hoarding is so hard to treat is that people derive great joy from their acquisitions and belongings, says Kysow. People with mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety often feel quite distressed, which can inspire them to seek treatment. But people with hoarding disorder don’t necessarily feel distressed about their cluttered homes—unless they’re faced with the thought of getting rid of their belongings. “One of the biggest treatment challenges is that they can be so
H
health.harvard.edu
research
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/hoarding-what-to-know-about-this…
Hoarding is a mental health condition characterized by an inability to discard certain belongings to the point of unhealthy accumulation. A person with hoarding disorder acquires an excessive number of items they don't need and stores them in disarray. [...] Hoarding occurs three times as often in older adults as in the general population. This is of particular concern because hoarding can exacerbate the risks of older adults falling, or of misplacing important items such as medications or prescription glasses. [...] The overwhelming amount of clutter can affect relationships, hygiene, or work of a person with hoarding disorder. It can create an unhygienic situation, leading to infestation of pests such as cockroaches or rodents. People with hoarding disorder may avoid having visitors over. In some cases, the clutter can present physical dangers such as a fire hazard, danger of falls, or other risks from the inability to safely navigate the space.
## Who is at increased risk for hoarding disorder?
M
mayoclinic.org
article
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hoarding-disorder/symptoms-cau…
## Complications
Hoarding disorder can cause a variety of complications, including:
Increased risk of falls.
Injury or being trapped by shifting or falling items.
Family conflicts.
Loneliness and social isolation.
Conditions that aren't clean and can be a health risk.
A fire hazard.
Poor work performance.
Legal issues, such as eviction.
### Other mental health disorders
Hoarding disorder also is linked with other mental health conditions, such as: [...] ## Prevention
Because little is understood about what causes hoarding disorder, there's no known way to prevent it. However, as with many mental health conditions, getting treatment at the first sign of a problem may help prevent hoarding from getting worse. This is especially important because by the time clutter becomes a noticeable problem, hoarding likely has been going on for a while.
. Mayo Clinic. Dec. 20, 2022.
## Related
### Associated Procedures [...] If you or a loved one has symptoms of hoarding disorder, talk with a health care provider or a mental health provider with expertise in diagnosing and treating hoarding disorder as soon as possible. Some communities have agencies that help with hoarding problems. Check with the local or county government for resources in your area.
M
mind.org.uk
article
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/h…
Brain injuries
Dementia
Depression
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)")
Schizophrenia
Personality disorder
Recreational drug or alcohol addiction
Prader-Willi syndrome (a genetic condition) - there's more about Prader-Willi syndrome on the NHS website
In these cases, getting the right support for your physical or mental health problem or neurodivergence, may help you stop hoarding. [...] In the past, doctors used to think that hoarding was a type of OCD. But now doctors consider hoarding disorder as its own, unique mental health problem.
Because of this past cross-over, some OCD organisations still offer information on hoarding disorder. OCD Action also runs an online OCD and hoarding support group. [...] Normally, you won't get a diagnosis of hoarding disorder if your hoarding is caused by another health problem. Because of this, not all of our information on hoarding might be helpful to you.
### Is hoarding the same as OCD?
You can experience both obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)") and hoarding disorder at the same time. But experiencinghoarding disorder does not mean you have OCD. They are two different conditions.
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hoarding.iocdf.org
article
https://hoarding.iocdf.org/for-families/how-hd-affects-families
Beyond the emotional effects, HD can also impact the safety and health of families – the effects if hoarding reach all members of the household, not just the person with HD. As clutter grows excessive, it is very difficult to remove common irritants (such as accumulated dust, pet hair, pollen, grime, etc.) from the home as family members are unable to vacuum or dust, sometimes for months or longer. Additionally, spilled liquids cannot be cleaned, leading to mildew, fungus, and/or unwanted [...] Adult children of those with HD may experience a phenomenon called “caregiver burden,” commonly experienced in situations where people are required to provide emotional or practical care for another person. Being in the caregiver role may cause increased interpersonal conflict, chronic worry, anxiety, depression, and the inability to cope. Caregivers may also experience a number of negative life events, such as loss of self-esteem, disruption of finances, loss of competence, loss of hope and [...] Children may also feel resentful, depressed, or angry about the lifestyle their parent’s HD causes them to lead (e.g. “sacrifices” they are expected to make in accommodation, etc.). They may come to believe that their parent with HD values their possessions more than their children, which can cause children to feel abandoned, rejected, and/or that they are not loved nor treasured as much as their parents’ things.