A Standardized Approach to Calculating Clinically Significant Change in Hoarding Disorder Using the Saving...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Hoarding disorder treatment outcome studies lack standardized methods for assessing individual change.
• Inconsistent assessment formulations hinder cross-study comparisons of treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a standardized method for calculating clinically significant change in hoarding disorder treatment.
• To establish clear criteria for classifying treatment outcomes based on the Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R).

Main Methods:

• Utilizing Jacobson and Truax's (1991) two-step method for calculating reliable and valid change.
• Defining specific score changes and post-treatment thresholds on the SI-R for outcome classification.

Main Results:

• Recommended criteria: Recovered (SI-R decrease ≥20 points, post-score ≤38).
• Improved but not recovered (SI-R decrease ≥20 points, post-score >38).
• Deteriorated (SI-R increase ≥20 points); Not changed (SI-R change <20 points).

Conclusions:

• Adopting these standardized criteria will enhance comparability across hoarding disorder treatment studies.
• This standardization will improve the understanding of hoarding disorder treatment impacts on individuals.