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Assessing Burrowing, Nest Construction, and Hoarding in Mice
Published on: January 5, 2012
The London field trial for hoarding disorder
D Mataix-Cols1, D Billotti, L Fernández de la Cruz
1Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. david.mataix-cols@kcl.ac.uk
Psychological Medicine
|August 14, 2012
Summary
The proposed diagnostic criteria for hoarding disorder (HD) are valid and reliable, showing excellent accuracy in identifying individuals with the condition. Sufferers found the new diagnosis acceptable and useful, suggesting it won't overpathologize normal behavior.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Mental Health Diagnostics
Background:
- Hoarding disorder (HD) is a proposed new diagnostic category for DSM-5.
- Field-testing the validity, reliability, and acceptability of proposed HD diagnostic criteria is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity, reliability, and perceived acceptability of the proposed diagnostic criteria for hoarding disorder (HD).
Main Methods:
- Fifty individuals with hoarding behavior and 20 'collectors' underwent psychiatric assessments, including home visits.
- A semi-structured interview based on proposed HD criteria was administered by two independent raters.
- Sensitivity, specificity, and inter-rater reliability were calculated; participants' perceptions of the new diagnosis were assessed.
Main Results:
- 29% of individuals with hoarding behavior met the criteria for HD; no 'collectors' did.
- The diagnostic criteria demonstrated excellent sensitivity, specificity, and inter-rater reliability.
- Most individuals diagnosed with HD found the new classification acceptable, useful, and not overly stigmatizing.
Conclusions:
- The proposed diagnostic criteria for hoarding disorder (HD) are valid, reliable, and well-received by individuals experiencing hoarding symptoms.
- The criteria appear sufficiently conservative to avoid overpathologizing normative collecting behaviors.
- Minor adjustments to the wording of the criteria are recommended for further refinement.
