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Hoarding and its relation to obsessive-compulsive disorder

Kevin D Wu1, David Watson

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, E11 Seashore Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1407, USA. kwu@psych.uic.edu

Behaviour Research and Therapy
|May 18, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Hoarding is not specifically linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Research indicates hoarding behaviors do not strongly correlate with classic OCD symptoms or negative affect, challenging its classification as a core OCD symptom.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Hoarding is frequently observed in patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  • The specific relationship between hoarding and core OCD symptoms remains debated in clinical research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the specific relationship between hoarding and classic obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms.
  • To determine if hoarding differentiates OCD patients from other patient groups and non-patients.

Main Methods:

  • Two studies were conducted comparing hoarding symptoms with classic OCD symptoms (checking, rituals, contamination).
  • Correlational analyses examined relationships between hoarding, OCD symptoms, depression, and Negative Affect.
  • Group comparisons differentiated OCD patients, other psychiatric patients, and non-patients based on symptom profiles.

Main Results:

  • Classic OCD symptoms strongly intercorrelated, while hoarding showed only moderate correlations with these symptoms and depression.
  • OCD patients were identified by classic OCD symptoms, not by hoarding behaviors.
  • OCD symptoms correlated with Negative Affect, whereas hoarding did not show a significant association.

Conclusions:

  • The findings do not support a specific, strong relationship between hoarding and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
  • The results question the current diagnostic trend of considering hoarding a specific symptom of OCD.

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