Group cognitive behavioural therapy for hoarding disorder: outcomes from ten closed groups

A group cognitive behavioural therapy (GCBT) protocol was developed for people with hoarding disorder (HD) as part of routine clinical care in a tertiary mental health Obsessive Compulsive service in Southwest London in 2014; to date 10 groups have been facilitated, and 71 people have been treated.

The aim of the report was to describe the GCBT programme and ascertain if it is effective in treating symptoms of HD.

Each group cycle consisted of 11 or 12 × 2-hour group sessions, run on a closed group basis. A home-based assessment and a follow-up home visit was conducted for each participating patient. This treatment and gathering of measures are part of routine clinical care in the delivery of GCBT for HD.

Patients evidenced highly significant benefits at post-treatment across all measured domains, with robust improvements observed on the Saving Inventory-revised (SI-R; Total d = 1.73; Clutter d = 1.58, Discarding d = 1.55, Acquisition d = 1.11) total and moderate-to-large effects for depression and disability within the Becks Depression Inventory (BDI; d = 0.80) and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS; d = 0.72).

GCBT for HD is effective in treating symptoms of HD, pertaining to the subscales of excessive clutter, difficulty discarding and excessive acquisition. Additionally, symptoms of depression and daily levels of functioning are positively affected in treatment.