Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Hoarding Disorder
Brief summary
This study developed and tested a specialized cognitive and behavioral treatment for the symptoms of hoarding disorder, including excessive acquiring, difficulty discarding items, and extensive clutter in the home.
Detailed description
Compulsive hoarding is characterized by excessive acquisition of possessions, difficulty discarding possessions, and excessive clutter. This condition is resistant to standard pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions that have proven effective in treating other obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a specialized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) designed for treating hoarding symptoms. This study consists of three phases. In Phase 1, pilot data from previous studies were examined to develop an intervention suitable for use in a waitlist trial. In Phase 2, pilot study information were used to develop and test a treatment manual for compulsive hoarding. During this phase, treatment was applied flexibly to allow for variations in treatment duration and choice of techniques. During Phase 3, participants were randomly assigned to 26 weekly sessions of CBT or to a 12-week wait-list control, followed by active treatment for a fixed duration of 26 sessions. Therapist adherence and competence were assessed through audiotaped therapy sessions.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCognitive Behavioral Treatment
Sponsors
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Boston University Charles River Campus
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
active treatment versus wait list control
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Display at least moderately severe hoarding symptoms * Must live within 45 minutes of Boston, MA or Hartford, CT
Exclusion criteria
* Ten or more sessions of cognitive behavior therapy for hoarding * Concurrent psychotherapy or medications * Suicidal, psychotic, or other psychiatric symptoms requiring hospitalization * Compulsive buying symptoms that are part of a manic phase of bipolar disorder * Mental retardation, dementia, brain damage, or other cognitive dysfunction that would interfere with the study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Saving Inventory-Revised | change from baseline to week 12; change from baseline to week 26 | Self-report questionnaire of hoarding severity; total score range = 0 to 92; higher values indicate more symptoms |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hoarding Rating Scale | change from baseline to week 12; change from baseline to week 26 | Interviewer measure with 5 questions to assess hoarding severity; total score range = 0 to 40; higher values indicate more symptoms |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed