Beliefs and experiences in hoarding

Recent research suggests that hoarding problems may be relatively heterogeneous, with the suggestion that three belief dimensions may underpin hoarding experiences, namely harm avoidance, fear of material deprivation, and heightened “sentimentality” in relation to possessions. The role of these hypothesised belief dimensions in hoarding was evaluated in this study, together with the association between compulsive hoarding and OCD on several clinically relevant variables. As hypothesised, individuals with hoarding and co-existing OCD reported greater harm avoidance beliefs in relation to possessions compared with a group of hoarders without OCD. Contrary to expectation, however, the hoarding group without OCD did not report significantly stronger beliefs associated with material deprivation and attachment disturbance relative to the hoarding with OCD group. The comparison of the clinical presentation of participants across groups lends further support to the notion that hoarding should be considered a distinct clinical syndrome from OCD.

► We examine the role of three hypothesised belief dimensions in hoarding.
► We found greater harm avoidance beliefs in individuals with hoarding and OCD.
► Results support the notion that hoarding is a distinct clinical syndrome from OCD.