In Possessed, Rebecca R. Falkoff asks how hoarding—once a paradigm of economic rationality—came to be defined as a mental illness. Hoarding is unique among the disorders included in the American ...Psychiatric Association's DSM-5, because its diagnosis requires the existence of a material entity: the hoard. Possessed therefore considers the hoard as an aesthetic object produced by clashing perspectives about the meaning or value of objects. The 2000s have seen a surge of cultural interest in hoarding and those whose possessions overwhelm their living spaces. Unlike traditional economic elaborations of hoarding, which focus on stockpiles of bullion or grain, contemporary hoarding results in accumulations of objects that have little or no value or utility. Analyzing themes and structures of hoarding across a range of literary and visual texts—including works by Nikolai Gogol, Arthur Conan Doyle, Carlo Emilio Gadda, Luigi Malerba, Song Dong and E. L. Doctorow—Falkoff traces the fraught materialities of the present to cluttered spaces of modernity: bibliomaniacs' libraries, flea markets, crime scenes, dust-heaps, and digital archives. Possessed shows how the figure of the hoarder has come to personify the economic, epistemological, and ecological conditions of modernity.
Thanks to generous funding from New York University and its participation in TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem), the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access (OA) volumes from Cornell Open (cornellopen.org) and other Open Access repositories.
Objectives: We investigated (1) age of onset of hoarding disorder (HD) symptoms and diagnosis, (2) late-onset HD, (3) progression of HD symptoms, and (4) association between demographics and hoarding ...progression.
Method: Eighty-two older adults with HD provided retrospective ratings of their hoarding symptoms for each decade of life. Age of onset of symptoms (saving, difficulty discarding, and clutter) was operationalized as the first decade in which the participant reported at least minor symptom severity, and age of onset for possible HD diagnosis was operationalized as the first decade in which the participant reported all three symptoms. We used mixed effects modeling to examine the progression of HD symptoms.
Results: The median age of onset for symptoms was between 10 and 20 years, and the median age of onset for possible HD diagnosis was between 20 and 30 years. Twenty-three percent of participants reported onset of possible HD diagnosis after the age of 40. All HD symptoms increased in severity over time. Men reported higher initial clutter and a slower increase in hoarding severity for all symptoms. Increased education was associated with slower increase in saving. Having at least one parent with hoarding tendencies was associated with higher initial hoarding symptoms.
Conclusion: Generally, symptoms of HD begin relatively early and worsen across the lifespan. However, approximately one fourth of older adults with HD reported a possible onset after the age of 40.
Scrupulosity and hoarding Frost, Randy O.; Gabrielson, Isabella; Deady, Sophia ...
Comprehensive psychiatry,
October 2018, 2018-10-00, 20181001, Volume:
86
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Recent evidence suggests that avoiding waste may be a prominent motive to save in hoarding disorder. Such beliefs are reminiscent of scrupulosity obsessions in OCD. This paper reports on three ...studies examining scrupulosity-like beliefs in hoarding and the development and validation of a measure of material scrupulosity.
Study one examined the reliability and validity of a measure of material scrupulosity (MOMS) and its relationship to hoarding in a college student sample, as well as the relationship between hoarding and OCD-base scrupulosity. Study 2 examined the psychometric properties of the MOMS in a replication of study 1 with a sample of people with hoarding problems. Study 3 examined the reliability and validity of the MOMS in a large nonclinical/community sample.
Findings across the studies provided evidence for the reliability and validity of the MOMS. It was highly correlated with hoarding symptoms, especially difficulty discarding, and hoarding related beliefs, especially responsibility beliefs. It accounted for significant variance in hoarding symptoms independent of other correlates, including other hoarding beliefs. OCD-based scrupulosity was correlated with hoarding in sample 1, but not in the hoarding sample in study 2.
Material Scrupulosity refers to an exaggerated sense of duty or moral/ethical responsibility for the care and disposition of possessions to prevent their being harmed or wasted. It appears to be distinct from other hoarding-related beliefs and a significant predictor of hoarding symptoms. The MOMS appears to possess good reliability and validity in both clinical and nonclinical samples.
•A measure of material scrupulosity (MOMS) was reliable and correlated with hoarding symptoms and beliefs.•Material scrupulosity accounted for variance in hoarding symptoms independent of other variables.•Material scrupulosity and excessive responsibility for possessions were greater in men than women.•OCD-based scrupulosity was associated with hoarding in a nonclinical, but not a clinical sample.
Background
Hoarding disorder (HD) is a new diagnosis in DSM‐5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Cognitive‐behavioral therapy (CBT) appears promising for the treatment of HD, and has been ...tested in both individual and group settings.
Methods
The present study used meta‐analytic techniques to examine the overall strength of effect of CBT on HD, as well as on its component symptoms (clutter, difficulty discarding, and acquiring) and associated functional impairment. Potential demographic and treatment‐related moderators of CBT response, as well as the presence of clinically significant change were also examined. From 114 published articles, 10 articles comprising 12 distinct HD samples (N = 232) met inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis.
Results
HD symptom severity decreased significantly across studies with a large effect size. The strongest effects were seen for difficulty discarding, followed by clutter and acquiring. Functional impairment showed the smallest effect in the moderate range. Female gender, younger age, a greater number of CBT sessions, and a greater number of home visits were associated with better clinical outcomes. Reliable change was found in the majority of samples for each outcome domain. Rates of clinically significant change, however, were lower (percentage ranged from 24 to 43). Thus, in most cases, study patients’ post‐treatment scores remained closer to the HD range than to the normal range.
Conclusions
CBT is a promising treatment for HD, although there is significant room for improvement. Results are discussed in terms of treatment refinement for HD, and additional moderator variables are suggested for further study.
Hoarding disorder is characterised by the acquisition of, and failure to discard large numbers of items regardless of their actual value, a perceived need to save the items and distress associated ...with discarding them, significant clutter in living spaces that render the activities associated with those spaces very difficult causing significant distress or impairment in functioning. To aid development of an intervention for hoarding disorder we aimed to identify current practice by investigating key stakeholders existing practice regarding identification, assessment and intervention associated with people with hoarding disorder. Two focus groups with a purposive sample of 17 (eight male, nine female) stakeholders representing a range of services from housing, health, and social care were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. There was a lack of consensus regarding how hoarding disorder was understood and of the number of cases of hoarding disorder however all stakeholders agreed hoarding disorder appeared to be increasing. The clutter image rating scale was most used to identify people who needed help for hoarding disorder, in addition to other assessments relevant to the stakeholder. People with hoarding disorder were commonly identified in social housing where regular access to property was required. Stakeholders reported that symptoms of hoarding disorder were often tackled by enforced cleaning, eviction, or other legal action however these approaches were extremely traumatic for the person with hoarding disorder and failed to address the root cause of the disorder. While stakeholders reported there was no established services or treatment pathways specifically for people with hoarding disorder, stakeholders were unanimous in their support for a multi-agency approach. The absence of an established multiagency service that would offer an appropriate and effective pathway when working with a hoarding disorder presentation led stakeholders to work together to suggest a psychology led multiagency model for people who present with hoarding disorder. There is currently a need to examine the acceptability of such a model.
Scatter‐ and larder hoarding are the primary strategies of food‐hoarding animals and have important implications for plant‐animal interactions and plant recruitment. However, their origins and ...influencing factors have not been fully investigated across a wide range of taxa. Our systematic literature search amassed data for 183 seed‐hoarding rodent species worldwide and tested relationships of seed‐hoarding behaviours with phylogenetic signal, functional traits and environmental factors. We found that the evolution of hoarding strategies was not random in phylogeny, and scatter hoarding originated independently multiple times from larder hoarding. Rodents with higher encephalisation quotient (relative brain size), omnivorous diet (related to dependence on seeds) and inhabiting lower latitudes were disproportionately likely to scatter hoard. Despite body mass’s potential relationship with competition through food defence, it was associated with food‐hoarding strategy only in a few families. Our results show the need to study the community and ecological context of food‐hoarding behaviours.
Based on a global dataset of hoarding behaviors in rodents, we found significant phylogenetic signals and larder hoarding is likely to be the ancestral state of hoarding strategies, with scatter hoarding evolving multiple independent times. Rodents with higher encephalization quotient (relative brain size), omnivorous diet (related to dependence on seeds) and inhabiting lower latitudes were disproportionately likely to scatter hoard. The results provide important cues for understanding evolution of hoarding behaviors and plant‐animal interactions.
Objectives: Hoarding in older adults can have a detrimental effect on daily life. Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) could result in a greater avoidance of discarding and increased saving behaviors; ...yet, the unique role of RNT on hoarding in older adults remains understudied. This study aimed to investigate whether the intensity of RNT contributes to hoarding in older adults. Methods: Two hundred and sixty-four older adults in Japan (ages 65-86 years, 132 males and 132 females) participated in an online survey. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine whether RNT could significantly explain the variance of hoarding after controlling for age, sex, years of education, self-reported cognitive impairment, and depression. Results: As we expected, RNT was significantly associated with greater hoarding behaviors, such as excessive acquisition (β = .27, p = .005) and difficulty in discarding (β = .27, p = .003). On the other hand, reflection, repetitive thinking without negative emotional valence, was significantly associated with higher scores on clutter (β = .36 p < .001). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of addressing RNT in the prevention and treatment of hoarding symptoms among older adults, potentially leading to more effective interventions and improved outcomes in managing hoarding behaviors in this population.
Abstract Background Hoarding disorder (HD) is a common and debilitating disorder characterized by an accumulation of and failure to discard one's possessions. The identification and examination of ...underlying factors that may contribute to hoarding symptoms are needed to elucidate the nature of the disorder and refine existing treatments. Two transdiagnostic vulnerability factors that have been associated with hoarding symptoms are distress intolerance (DI) and intolerance of uncertainty (IU). Objectives This study examined the relationships between DI, IU, and symptoms of hoarding in two samples consisting of outpatients and individuals recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk. We hypothesized that DI and IU would show unique and interactive associations with hoarding symptoms. Results Across both samples, DI and IU were significantly associated with hoarding symptoms. However, DI and IU did not interact in their prediction of symptoms, and only IU remained a significant predictor, when accounting for relevant covariates. Conclusions Results suggest that IU is a robust predictor of hoarding symptoms and may be a promising and novel treatment target for HD.
Rodent preference for scatter-hoarding large seeds has been widely considered to favor the evolution of large seeds. Previous studies supporting this conclusion were primarily based on observations ...at earlier stages of seed dispersal, or on a limited sample of successfully established seedlings. Because seed dispersal comprises multiple dispersal stages, we hypothesized that differential foraging preference on seed size by animal dispersers at different dispersal stages would ultimately result in medium-sized seeds having the highest dispersal success rates. In this study, by tracking a large number of seeds for 5 yr, we investigated the effects of seed size on seed fates from seed removal to seedling establishment of a dominant plant Pittosporopsis kerrii (Icacinaceae) dispersed by scatter-hoarding rodents in tropical forest in southwest China. We found that small seeds had a lower survival rate at the early dispersal stage where more small seeds were predated at seed stations and after removal; large seeds had a lower survival rate at the late dispersal stage, more large seeds were recovered, predated after being cached, or larder-hoarded. Medium-sized seeds experienced the highest dispersal success. Our study suggests that differential foraging preferences by scatter-hoarding rodents at different stages of seed dispersal could result in conflicting selective pressures on seed size and higher dispersal success of medium-sized seeds.
This presidential address focuses on the recent history of research and practice on hoarding disorder (HD) as a potential model for coordinating interdisciplinary teams of professionals within and ...outside mental health fields to advance scientific efforts to understand and resolve mental health problems. To identify, assess, and intervene with clients who have HD, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and other service professionals are needed, including those in public health, housing, medicine, aging and protective services, fire, safety, and animal protection. Research findings and practice methods developed by many of my colleagues highlight the various skills of these diverse disciplines and fields. Of particular interest are multimethod assessments and CBT interventions that span individual, group, and family treatments, delivered in the office, at home and via the web by mental health and other professionals, as well as peers. Outcomes are positive, but there remains much work to do to improve understanding and intervention outcomes.
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