Editorial: Hoarding and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Abstract

Hoarding disorder is more than surplus clothes and belongings that could be remedied by a visit from Marie Kondo (https://konmari.com). It is officially recognized as a distinct condition in DSM-5 and placed under obsessive-compulsive conditions.1 Before the designation in DSM-5, hoarding was regarded as a diagnostic element in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder or a symptom nested within obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).2 In DSM-5, hoarding disorder is defined by great reluctance or outright refusal to discard belongings-including articles of limited value. Individuals with hoarding disorder commonly describe indecision, distress, or both when faced with discarding superfluous items. They may claim that the item could be useful in the future or that it has sentimental value. A direct consequence of refusing to discard items of limited value is accumulation of clutter that, over time, interferes with daily activities and functional use of living space. For example, a sink piled high with dishes and food containers may not be available for practical use. The accumulation of poorly organized possessions may restrict movement in the home to narrow winding pathways through the mounds of debris. Excessive accrual of debris may also extend to vehicles. A car stuffed with rags, take-out containers, old mail, cardboard, and rolls of paper towels may not accommodate passengers.

• Authors: Lawrence Scahill
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry) Vol. 58 Issue 8 Pg. 754-755 (08 2019) ISSN: 1527-5418 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 31108161 (Publication Type: Editorial, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Comment)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Child
• Cognition
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• Hoarding
• Humans
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder