Hoarding in obsessive-compulsive disorder: results from the OCD Collaborative Genetics Study.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
• Clinical Psychology
• Genetics

Background:

• Hoarding behavior is a common symptom in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Previous research suggests individuals with OCD and hoarding symptoms may represent a distinct clinical subgroup.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for targeted treatment and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical characteristics of individuals with OCD who hoard versus those who do not.
• To identify personality traits and comorbidities associated with hoarding in OCD.
• To investigate the familial aggregation of hoarding and its relationship with indecision.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 235 hoarding and 389 non-hoarding participants with OCD.
• Data collected through the OCD Collaborative Genetics Study.
• Assessment of clinical symptoms, insight, illness severity, comorbidities, personality disorders, and personality traits.

Main Results:

• Hoarders exhibited more symmetry obsessions, repeating/counting/ordering compulsions, poorer insight, greater illness severity, task initiation/completion difficulties, and indecision.
• Hoarders had higher prevalence of social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and dependent personality disorder.
• Five personality traits (miserliness, preoccupation with details, indecision, odd behavior, magical thinking) were linked to hoarding; hoarding and indecision were more common in relatives.

Conclusions:

• Hoarding behavior may differentiate a distinct clinical subgroup within OCD.
• Hoarding behavior and associated traits, like indecision, may aggregate in OCD families.
• Indecision may represent a potential risk factor for hoarding in familial OCD contexts.