Cognitive behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder: An updated meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Hoarding disorder (HD) is recognized as a distinct diagnosis in the DSM-5.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered a primary treatment for HD, though research is ongoing.
• Existing literature on CBT for HD requires synthesis to understand treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To meta-analytically synthesize the current treatment outcome literature for CBT in hoarding disorder.
• To evaluate the efficacy of CBT for secondary depressive symptoms in individuals with HD.
• To identify potential moderators of treatment outcomes in CBT for HD.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analytic approach was employed to synthesize data from 16 studies.
• Effect sizes were calculated for hoarding disorder symptoms and depressive symptoms.
• Due to a limited number of controlled trials, within-group effect sizes were primarily analyzed.

Main Results:

• Large effect sizes were observed for CBT on hoarding disorder symptoms from pre-treatment to post-treatment (g = 1.11) and follow-up (g = 1.25).
• Higher proportions of female participants correlated with larger treatment effects for HD symptoms.
• Small effect sizes were found for CBT's impact on depressive symptoms (g = 0.45).

Conclusions:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) demonstrates effectiveness in treating hoarding disorder.
• Further research, including controlled trials, is necessary to establish long-term efficacy.
• The study highlights the need for more robust research in the emerging field of HD treatment.