Approximately 2-6% of the general population meet criteria for hoarding disorder (HD), with similar rates found in men and women, across developed countries. Hoarding behaviours often emerge in adolescence or early adulthood and tend to worsen over time.
This disorder is characterized by difficulty letting go of material possessions, excessive or compulsive accumulation of new items, and disorganization that leads to overwhelming clutter. The disorder is associated with greater social isolation, various medical problems, and significantly lower quality of life. Unfortunately, it is a chronic, progressive condition that can cause significant distress and lead to serious complications, including falls, eviction, self-neglect, malnutrition, food contamination, medication mismanagement, and even death.
Hoarding disorder is often misunderstood and overlooked as common over collecting. However, while collectors focus on acquiring specific items, organizing, and displaying them, individuals with the disorder tend to accumulate a wide variety of things in a disorganized manner, without any clear purpose or system.
Hoarding disorder was officially recognized as a standalone diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in 2013. Before this, it was considered a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although, due to key differences such as the absence of intrusive, recurring…
