Prevalence of hoarding disorder among primary care patients

Despite the inclusion of hoarding disorder (HD) in the DSM-5, there is little epidemiological data on hoarding from low and middle-income countries. This study, the first from India, examines the prevalence and correlates of HD among primary care patients in the state of Kerala, India.

To assess correlates, the Hoarding Rating Scale-Interview (HRS-I) and other structured instruments were administered to 7,555 subjects selected by stratified random sampling from 71 primary health centers.

The prevalence of HD was 1.02% (95%CI 0.8-1.3). Those with HD were more likely to be older and live alone. In the binary logistic regression analysis, after controlling for significant sociodemographic variables, subjects with HD had a higher odds of reporting chronic illness, depression, anxiety disorder, alcohol abuse, and tobacco dependence. Subjects with HD had significantly higher disability scores than unaffected individuals.

Although HD is not uncommon in India, this disorder is rarely reported in specialty settings in India, which suggests that awareness and detection should be improved, considering the co-occurring negative correlates and disability among affected individuals.