Functioning and quality of life in hoarding: A systematic review

• Hoarding symptoms negatively impact functioning.
• Functioning in hoarding can improve with treatment.
• Findings on the relationship between hoarding and quality of life are tenuous.
• Current measures of functioning and quality of life are inadequate.
• Multi-method assessment of these constructs across multiple domains is needed.

Hoarding, the acquisition and inability to let go of a large number of possessions, has been found to be associated with high levels of impairment that can compromise functioning and quality of life (QoL). Yet few studies have specifically investigated the relationship between hoarding and functioning/QoL. The present review aimed to summarize the current status of research on functioning and QoL in hoarding as well as identify knowledge gaps in the extant literature. We conducted systematic searches in ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed and ScienceDirect, and identified 37 relevant articles for inclusion. There was much evidence to indicate that hoarding has a significant impact on various aspects of functioning and that functioning can improve with treatment, though findings on the relationship between hoarding and QoL were more tenuous. The limitations of previous studies and implications of our findings are discussed.