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Age at onset and clinical features of late life compulsive hoarding
- Authors:
- AYERS Catherine R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(2), February 2010, pp.142-149.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Compulsive hoarding is a debilitating disorder, yet little is known about its onset or clinical features. Hoarding symptoms often come to clinical attention with older patients. However, no prior study has examined whether elderly compulsive hoarders have early or late onset of hoarding symptoms, whether their hoarding symptoms are idiopathic or secondary to other conditions, or whether their symptoms are similar to compulsive hoarding symptoms seen in younger and middle-aged populations. This study determines the onset and clinical features of late life compulsive hoarding, including psychiatric and medical relationships. A group of 18 participants over 60 with clinically significant compulsive hoarding were assessed using structured interviews, including the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, and UCLA Hoarding Severity Scale. Self-report Measures Included the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Sheehan Disability Scale, and Savings Inventory-Revised. Psychosocial and medical histories were also obtained. Participants were asked to rate their hoarding symptoms and describe major life events that occurred during each decade of their lives. Results show that onset of compulsive hoarding symptoms was initially reported as being in mid-life but actually found to be in childhood or adolescence - no subjects reported late onset compulsive hoarding. Compulsive hoarding severity seemed to increase with each decade of life. Comorbid mood and anxiety disorders were common, but only 16% of patients met criteria for OCD. The vast majority of patients had never received treatment for hoarding behaviour. Older adults with compulsive hoarding were usually socially impaired and lived alone. In conclusion compulsive hoarding appears to be a progressive and chronic condition that begins early in life. Left untreated, its severity increases with age. Compulsive hoarding should be considered a distinct clinical syndrome, separate from OCD.