Why do people with hoarding disorder hoard? It’s a question many of us have pondered, as we’ve passed the cluttered front yards of people with hoarding disorder or wondered how to handle it when a friend or family member struggles with the condition.

As psychology researchers Jessica Grisham, Keong Yap and Melissa Norberg write, a range of issues can be at play.

“Genetic factors play a role but there is no one single gene that causes hoarding disorder,” they write, adding that emotional deprivation is often a factor.

“People with hoarding problems often report excessively cold parenting, difficulty connecting with others, and more traumatic experiences. They may end up believing people are unreliable and untrustworthy, and that it’s better to rely on objects for comfort and safety.”

Hoarding disorder is also associated with high rates of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can make it hard to plan and to categorise or discard items. This can lead the person to put off these tasks, and so the clutter accumulates. There is special cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for hoarding disorder, and exposure to triggering situations (such as visiting shopping centres or op-shops without collecting new items) can help. Sometimes, though, a harm-avoidance approach may be best.

“This means working with the person with hoarding disorder to identify the most pressing safety hazards and come up with a practical plan to address them,” the researchers write.

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