Psychiatria pre prax 6/2009

Hoarding

Hoarding and saving behavior has been observed in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, dementia, eating disorders, and mental retardation, as well as in nonclinical populations, but it is most commonly found in patients who have OCD. This article is focusing on present research about this problem, including the definition and manifestations of the problem. There is described model for understanding hoarding behavior. This model addresses information-processing deficits (e.g., attention, organization, memory, decision making), beliefs and emotional attachments to possessions, and distress and avoidance. This article reviews research regarding the course and phenomenology, the treatment – SRI medications, cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for compulsive hoarding, findings about correlations between other psychiatric disorders.

Keywords: hoarding, model of compulsive hoarding, OCD