International Journal of Cognitive Therapy: Vol. 4, Special Section: Hoarding, pp. 225-238.2011
By M. Wheaton, J Abramowitz, L. Fabricant, N. Berman, J. Franklin,UNC
Is Hoarding a Symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
"The presence of hoarding symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
is a commonly reported phenomenon. How these symptoms are to be understood is less clear.
The extent to which hoarding fits with other symptoms of OCD by considering its diagnostic
utility and underlying cognitive processes is evaluated. In the first study, hoarding symptoms
did not differentiate OCD patients from individuals with other anxiety disorders or unscreened
students, indicating that hoarding does not inform diagnostic decision making. In the second study,
using an independent nonclinical sample, cognitive variables related to OCD were distinct from
hoarding-specific cognitions, and not predictive of hoarding symptoms. These results add to a
growing body of evidence suggesting that hoarding is not a symptom or manifestation of OCD.
The need for careful assessment of the function of hoarding symptoms is discussed"

http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/ijct.2011.4.3.225?journalCode=ijct

 

UBM Medica, Psychiatric Times, August 19, 2011

By Suzanne Otte and Gail Steketee

Psychiatric Issues in Hoarding - Strategies for Diagnosing and Treating Symptoms of Hoarding

"Historically, hoarding has been deemed a subtype of OCD, although forthcoming evidence
suggests there are more differences than similarities. Hoarding is under consideration for
inclusion in DSM-5 as a stand-alone disorder. A set of provisional criteria for hoarding disorder
has been proposed and will require further study in the future. A recent study conducted by
Frost and colleagues that examined the largest sample of participants to date confirmed that
major depressive disorder was the most frequently occurring comorbid condition (more than 50%)
and that kleptomania was a factor in 10% of the sample. This article highlights treatment options
for hoarding that are available to practitioners, including alternative approaches focusing on
self-help, support group, and Web-based delivery models."..........

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1932177

Social Work Today, May/June 2011, Vol.11, No.3, P.14
By Jennifer Van Pelt,MA
Treating People Who Hoard — What Works for Clients and Families
"TV reality shows can help and hurt people who hoard. Find out why and know what really works
 best for clients and the families who care about them."
http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051711p14.shtml

Depress Anxiety. 2010 Jul;27(7):667-74.
UCSF Psychiatry Resident Research Tract
By Sheppard, Azzam, Grados, Umana, Garrido, & Mathews
ADHD prevalence and association with hoarding behaviors in childhood-onset OCD.
CONCLUSION: ADHD rates were elevated in this sample of individuals with childhood-onset OCD
compared to the general population rate of ADHD, and there was a strong association between
ADHD and clinically significant hoarding behavior. This association is consistent with recent studies
suggesting that individuals with hoarding may exhibit substantial executive functioning impairments
and/or abnormalities, including attentional problems.
http://psychrrtp.net/rsch_pubs/adhd-prevalence-and-association-with-
hoarding-behaviors-in-childhood-onset-ocd/

 

Depression and Anxiety: Volume 27, Issue 6, pp 556–572 June (2010)
By David Mataix-Cols, Ph.D.,Randy O. Frost, Ph.D.,Alberto Pertusa, M.D.,
Lee Anna Clark, Ph.D.,Sanjaya Saxena, M.D., James F. Leckman, M.D.,
Dan J. Stein, M.D.,Hisato Matsunaga, M.D.,and Sabine Wilhelm, Ph.D.
REVIEW: HOARDING DISORDER: A NEW DIAGNOSIS FOR DSM-V?
See the full article and research at the link below.
One of the conclusions and preliminary recommendations:
1. Clinically significant hoarding is prevalent and can
vary from mild to life threatening. The personal and
public health consequences of hoarding are substantial and it is generally considered difficult to
treat. These direct and indirect consequences of
hoarding are serious enough to warrant its consideration as a mental disorder
............
10. If it becomes a separate diagnostic category, the most appropriate ‘‘neighborhood’’ for hoarding
disorder is unclear as it has ties with several groupings of disorders, particularly OCD and
impulse control disorders. Until we learn moreabout its etiology, the decision will necessarily
require expert consensus. For the time being, giventhe historical link between hoarding and OCD/
OCPD, the fact that some hoarders are seen in OCD clinics, and the conservative approach adopted
by DSM-V, it would be reasonable to acknowledge hoarding disorder as an OCSD, if such a group is
included in DSM-V. An alternative to our recommendation would be to include it in an Appendix of
Criteria Sets Provided for Further Study.
http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Anxiety,%20OC%20Spectrum,%20PTSD,%20and%20DD%20Group/OC%20Spectrum%20Disorders/DMC_Hoarding%20Disorder.pdf

J Anxiety Discrd. 2011 Mar;25(2):192-202. Epub 2010 Sep 15.
By Landau, Lervolino, Pertusa, Santo, Singh, & Mataix
Stressful life events and material deprivation in hoarding disorder
Results support a link between trauma, life stress and hoarding, which may help to
inform the conceptualization and treatment of hoarding disorder, but await confirmation
in a representative epidemiological sample and using a longitudinal design.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20934847



ADDICTION MEDICINE, 2011, Part 5, 687-701, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-0338-9_34
by J. Grisham, A.D.Williams, R. Kadib
SpringerLinkAbstract, 2011
Hoarding as a Behavioral Addiction
"Compulsive hoarding is a psychiatric syndrome with serious personal and public health consequences.
Although the diagnostic status of hoarding is uncertain, it appears to be associated with a number of
other psychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. Several important features of
hoarding, however, differentiate it from obsessive-compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders.
Moreover, there are important phenomenological similarities between hoarding and behavioral addictions,
such as the pleasurable feelings that may be associated with collecting and saving. In this chapter, we
review diagnostic and comorbidity issues regarding hoarding, while highlighting the relationship between
hoarding and impulse control disorders. In addition, we discuss ways in which a behavioral addiction model
may be consistent with compulsive hoarding. We also outline a prominent cognitive-behavioral theoretical
model of hoarding that emphasizes the role of both information-processing deficits and excessive emotional
attachment to possessions. Finally, we describe various self-report and interview measures used to assess
hoarding, as well as current biological and psychological approaches to treatment"
http://www.springerlink.com/content/j8261362201700g4/



Clinical Social Work Journal, 2010, DOI: 10.1007/s10615-010-0311-4
by J. Muroff, C. Bratiotis and G Steketee
SpringerLink.com ABSTRACT 
Treatment of Hoarding Behaviors: A Review of the Evidence
"Overall, evidence supports the use of specialized CBT methods to improve hoarding symptoms.
Future testing may include controlled trials with more diverse samples."
http://www.springerlink.com/content/15732020p15700l7/

Primary Psychiatry.com, CNS Spectr. 2010;15(4):258-265. CNS Spectr. 2010;15(4)231236 
 Clinical Features and Treatment Characteristics of Compulsive Hoarding in Japanese Patients
with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
by Hisato Matsunaga, MD, PhD, Kazuhisa Hayashida, MD, Nobuo Kiriike, MD, PhD,
Toshihiko Nagata, MD, PhD, and Dan J. Stein, MD, PhD
"Conclusion: The prevalence and clinical characteristics of compulsive hoarding in OCD subjects
was similar to those reported in Western countries, supporting its trans-cultural consistency.
The distinction between primary and secondary hoarding in OCD is clinically useful, and may
contribute to the debate about whether hoarding should be a separate diagnostic entity."



BehaV. Res Ther.,2010 Oct;48(10):1012-20. Epub 2010 Jul 29.
When hoarding is a symptom of OCD: a case series and implications for DSM-V.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20673573



Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2010 Sep 15.
Stressful life events and material deprivation in hoarding disorder
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20934847



Int Psychogeriatr.,2010 Sep 14:1-3.
The need to consider mood disorders, and especially chronic mania,
in cases of Diogenes syndrome (squalor syndrome)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20836916



JPsychiatry Res., 2010 Sep 3.
Quality of life and functional impairment in compulsive hoarding
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20822778



Published Online: March 24, 2010
Waitlist-controlled trial of cognitive behavior therapy for hoarding disorder
Gail Steketee, Ph.D. , Randy O. Frost, Ph.D. , David F. Tolin, Ph.D. , Jessica Rasmussen, M.A. , Timothy A. Brown, Psy.D
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123329377/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0



Psychiatr Serv 61:205, February 2010 doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.61.2.205
Personalized Intervention for Those At Risk of Eviction
by Carolyn Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D., Lisa Panero, M.S.W. and Audrey Tannen
http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/61/2/205

 

Clin Psychol Rev. 2010 Jun;30(4):371-86. Epub 2010 Feb 4.
Refining the diagnostic boundaries of compulsive hoarding: a critical review
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20189280

Behaviour Research and Therapy
Volume 48, Issue 1, January 2010, Pages 79-85

Delivery of internet treatment for compulsive hoarding

by Jordana Muroff, Gail Steketee, Joe Himle and Randy Frost

From abstract: "Online CBT-based self-help for hoarding appears to be a promising intervention
strategy that may extend access to treatment. Evaluating the benefits of internet self-help groups
is critical given growing popularity of and demand for web-based interventions.."

First go to http://dx.doi.org   Then enter the following into the text box provided doi:10.1016/j.brat.2009.09.006 

Molecular Psychiatry (2009) 14, 318–331; doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4002129; published online January 8, 2008
by S K An, D Mataix-Cols, N S Lawrence, S Wooderson, V Giampietro, A Speckens, M J Brammer^, and M L Phillips
To discard or not to discard: the neural basis of hoarding symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v14/n3/abs/4002129a.html
and/or First go to http://dx.doi.org , then copy and paste in : doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4002129



Cognitive Therapy Research, 2008, Volume 34, Number1 69-81, DOI: 1007/s10608-008-9217-7
by Tolin Frost, Steketee
SpringerLinkAbstract, 2008
Family Informants' Perceptions of Insight in Compulsive Hoarding
"Family/friend informants’ ratings of hoarding severity were significantly greater than were their estimates
of the hoarder’s ratings. Hoarders described as showing less distress about the hoarding were described
as showing poorer insight. These results suggest that compulsive hoarding is characterized by poor insight
into the severity of the problem. Treatment development might need to emphasize strategies to bolster
awareness, insight, and motivation."

http://www.springerlink.com/content/h251783785327477/



Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 2008, Vol31, Number 3220-227, DOI: 10.1007/s10862-008-9106-0
by L Hayward, M.E.Coles
SpringerLink.com ABSTRACT
Elucidating the Relationship of Hoarding to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Impulse Control Disorders
"Therefore, the current study tested the hypothesis that hoarding would be as strongly related to symptoms
of ICDs as it is to OCD and that these relationships would be medium to strong in magnitude. Results from
an undergraduate sample showed hoarding behaviors were strongly related to symptoms of OCD, moderately
related to symptoms of compulsive buying, and more modestly related to symptoms of pathological gambling,
trichotillomania, and kleptomania. Finally, findings suggest indecisiveness may be a particularly important
underlying feature in hoarding behaviors. These results support the consideration of hoarding outside the confines
of OCD."
http://www.springerlink.com/content/m442277190822523/



American J. Psychiatry 165:129-1233 Oct. 2008
Editorial
A Developmental and Evolutionary Perspective on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
Whence and Whither Compulsive Hoarding?
James F. Leckman, M.D., and Michael H. Bloch, M.D.
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/165/10/1229



Genes Brain Behav- 01-OCT-2008 7(7): 778-85
Genetic Susceptibility to Obsessive Compulsive Hoarding 
"Among other clinical dimensions, the presence of hoarding obsessions and compulsions
has been shown to be correlated with a number of clinical and neuroimaging findings,
as well as with a different pattern of genetic inheritance." 
http://www.mdconsult.com/das/citation/body/161543786-2/jorg=journal&source=MI&sp=21626555&sid=0/N/21626555/1.html?issn
 

Behavior Research and Therapy, 2008 September 46(9)1040-1046
Sex-Specific Clinical Correlates of Hoarding in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Abstract: DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&log$=freejrpmc
Full article http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2578847

 

Current Psychiatrity Reports, Volume 10, Number 4, August 20, 2008

by Sanjaya Saxena

Recent Advances in Compulsive Hoarding
Abstract

"Compulsive hoarding is a common and often disabling neuropsychiatric disorder. This article reviews the
conceptualization, phenomenology, diagnosis, etiology, neurobiology, and treatment of compulsive hoarding.
Compulsive hoarding is part of a discrete clinical syndrome that includes difficulty discarding, urges to save,
excessive acquisition, indecisiveness, perfectionism, procrastination, disorganization, and avoidance. It was
thought to be part of obsessive-compulsive disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, but recent
evidence indicates that it should be classified as a separate disorder with its own diagnostic criteria. Compulsive
hoarding is a genetically discrete, strongly heritable phenotype. Neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies
are elucidating its neurobiology, implicating dysfunction of ventral and medial prefrontal cortical areas that
mediate decision-making, attention, and emotional regulation. Effective treatments include pharmacotherapy
and cognitive-behavioral therapy. More research will be required to determine the prevalence, etiology, and
pathophysiology of compulsive hoarding and to develop better treatments."   

Download PDF (234.8 KB)

Br J Clin Psychol. 2008 Mar;47(Pt 1):59-73.
Compulsive hoarding: a qualitative investigation of partner and carer perspectives.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17845741



Behav Res Ther. 2008 Mar;46(3):334-44. Epub 2008 Jan 3.
Family burden of compulsive hoarding: results of an internet survey
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18275935



Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 2007, Vol 30, Number 3,193-203, DOI: 10.1007/s10862-007-9068-7
by Frost, Steketee, Tolin, S Renaud 
SpringerLink.com ABSTRACT
Development and Validation of Clutter Image Rating
"Few instruments are available to assess compulsive hoarding and severity of clutter. Accuracy of assessment
is important to understanding the clinical significance of the problem. To overcome problems associated with
over- and under-reporting of hoarding symptoms, the clutter image rating (CIR) was developed. This pictorial
scale contains nine equidistant photographs of severity of clutter representing each of three main rooms of
most people’s homes: living room, kitchen, and bedroom. The psychometric properties of this measure were
examined in two studies. Internal consistency, test–retest, and interobserver reliabilities were good and
convergent validity with other questionnaire and interview measures was also good. The CIR correlated more
strongly with measures of clutter than with other hoarding and psychopathology scales. The CIR’s very brief
pictorial assessment method makes it useful in clinical and treatment contexts for measuring the clutter
dimension of compulsive hoarding. Development and Validation of the Clutter Image Rating"
http://www.springerlink.com/content/fv41353626416002/



Behaviour Research and Therapy 45 (2007) 1657–1662
Cognitive aspects of nonclinical obsessive compulsive hoarding 
by Luchian, McNally, and Hooley                                         
See this article for information on a very small study delineating problems
of categorization, under inclusiveness, and indecisiveness in non clinical hoarders. http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/3197695/Hooley_CognitiveAspects.pdf?sequence=1



Behavior Research Therapy 2007 Nov; 45(11):2754-63. Epub 2007 Aug 8
HOARDING AND COMPULSIVE BUYING
Hoarding in a compulsive buying sample 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17868641?
ordinalpos=145&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum