Hoarding behaviour: special features and complications in real-world clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Hoarding behavior is prevalent but poorly understood in clinical settings.
• Hoarding Disorder (HD) is a key component, but not all individuals with hoarding behavior have HD.
• Differentiating between hoarding behavior and HD is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize a clinical sample of patients with hoarding behavior.
• To identify differential characteristics between patients with and without a formal HD diagnosis.
• To evaluate the role of home visitation programs in managing hoarding behavior.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of patients from a Barcelona home visitation program (2013-2020).
• Inclusion criteria: score ≥ 4 on the Clutter Image Rating scale.
• Assessment of sociodemographic data, DSM-5 diagnoses, and clinical information.

Main Results:

• 243 subjects were included; hoarding behavior was often long-standing (median 10 years).
• 100% of cases presented hoarding-related complications.
• Hoarding Disorder (HD) was diagnosed in 117 patients (48.1%).

Conclusions:

• Differential characteristics exist between patients with and without HD.
• Alcohol use disorder may be significant in patients without HD.
• Home visitation programs can facilitate early detection and prevent complications.