Motives for Acquiring and Saving in Hoarding Disorder, OCD, and Community Controls
Randy O Frost1, Gail Steketee2, David F Tolin3
1Smith College.
Insights
Researchers explored motivations for acquiring possessions in Hoarding Disorder (HD). The study found that avoiding waste was the most significant motive for individuals with HD compared to those with OCD or the general population.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Hoarding Disorder (HD) is a distinct diagnosis in the DSM-5, yet motivations for excessive acquisition remain understudied.
- Existing anecdotal evidence suggests various reasons for hoarding, including information gathering, emotional attachment, waste avoidance, and aesthetic value.
- Limited empirical research exists on the specific drivers behind the accumulation of possessions in individuals with HD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency of four commonly reported motives for acquiring and saving possessions in Hoarding Disorder.
- To compare these motives between individuals with HD, individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and healthy community controls.
- To identify the most prominent motivational factor driving acquisition and saving behaviors in HD.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 443 participants.
- Participants included individuals diagnosed with Hoarding Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and community controls.
- The study assessed the frequency of four specific motives: information, emotional reasons, waste avoidance, and aesthetic reasons for acquiring and saving possessions.
Main Results:
- Participants with Hoarding Disorder reported significantly higher frequencies of all four investigated motives compared to both OCD participants and community controls.
- The intention to avoid waste emerged as the most prevalent motive among individuals with Hoarding Disorder.
- All four examined motives were more frequently endorsed by the HD group than by the comparison groups.
Conclusions:
- The findings highlight distinct motivational profiles in Hoarding Disorder, with a strong emphasis on waste avoidance.
- Understanding the psychological underpinnings of waste avoidance is crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions for HD.
- This research provides empirical support for the significant role of specific motivations in the maintenance of Hoarding Disorder.
Abstract:
Hoarding Disorder (HD) was classified as a separate disorder in DSM-5 (APA, 2013). However, only recently has research on hoarding begun in earnest, and as of yet, very little research exists on the motivation to acquire and save the excessive volume of possessions seen in patients with this disorder. This investigation examined the frequency of four motives for acquiring and saving possessions that are often reported anecdotally by people with HD (information, emotional reasons, avoid waste, and aesthetic reasons). Comparisons in a sample of 443 participants indicated that those with HD reported higher frequencies of each of these four motives for acquiring and saving compared to OCD participants and community controls. The intention to avoid waste emerged as the most prominent motive in people with HD. Understanding waste avoidance may be key to better understanding and treating HD.
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