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FAMILIAL PATTERNS OF HOARDING SYMPTOMS
Gail Steketee1, Andrea A Kelley1, Jeremy A Wernick1
1Boston University, School of Social Work, Boston, MA.
Depression and Anxiety
|July 2, 2015
Summary
Hoarding symptoms are common in relatives of individuals with hoarding disorder, with more reported in female relatives. This suggests potential genetic or environmental influences requiring further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Family Studies
Background:
- Hoarding aggregates in families, posing health and safety risks.
- Previous research indicates familial patterns in hoarding behavior.
- Understanding familial transmission is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine gender and diagnosis-related differences in hoarding symptoms among relatives.
- Investigate hoarding patterns in first-degree relatives of individuals with hoarding disorder.
- Compare hoarding symptom prevalence across clinical and community samples.
Main Methods:
- Included 443 participants: 217 with hoarding disorder (HD), 96 with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 130 community controls (CC).
- Conducted detailed interviews on familial hoarding behaviors in parents and siblings.
- Assessed hoarding severity using standardized measures.
Main Results:
- Hoarding symptoms were more frequently reported among female (mothers, sisters) than male relatives.
- Female participants reported more relatives with hoarding behaviors than male participants.
- In an age- and gender-matched subsample, HD participants showed higher rates of hoarding symptoms in relatives compared to OCD and CC samples.
Conclusions:
- Hoarding symptoms are prevalent in first-degree relatives of individuals with hoarding disorder and control groups.
- The higher prevalence in female relatives suggests potential genetic or modeling transmission.
- Clinicians should assess family members for hoarding symptoms.
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