New guidelines help GPs diagnose hoarding as a mental health condition – are you at risk?
HOARDING can be better diagnosed as a mental health condition thanks to new guidelines for GPs.
The disorder, which affects around 2 per cent of the population, causes people to clutter their homes so much they can’t move about in living spaces.
But few patients are actually spotted because they often suffer with other mental health issues like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Now, psychologists have released a guide to help medics recognise and treat the condition.
Dr Sharon Morein, of Anglia Ruskin University, told The Sun the key to knowing if someone is at risk is if having too many things is interfering with their everyday lives.
She said: “Its key symptoms are excessive clutter in the active living space so that people cannot undertake everyday activities such as cooking, sleeping or washing.
“Additionally, difficulty with discarding so they find it very distressing to part with possessions, or obtaining too many items to begin with.
“Whilst many people in the population can resonate with some of these, it is when these behaviours are distressing to the individual and those around them, and impair the everyday functioning and quality of life over time, that they would be considered for hoarding disorder.”
Hoarding disorder was only recognised as a mental health condition in 2019, having previously been classified as a symptom of OCD.
The new guidelines, published in the British Journal of General Practice, set out how doctors can diagnose it and offer treatments.
They state that hoarding may often start in early adulthood, but patients are unlikely to share difficulties with medics until decades later if ever.
Hoarders are often “convinced their beliefs and behaviours are not problematic, despite evidence to the contrary”, the guidelines state.
This means it is difficult for doctors to find out how much the hoarding is affecting a patient.
Symptoms include keeping items of little value, struggling to manage everyday tasks, becoming extremely attached to them and distressing family members as a result.
Doctors should ensure they recognise hoarding as an ongoing mental health condition, and avoid making patients feel judged, the guidelines state.
What are the signs of hoarding disorder?
While many people resonate with some of these, signs of hoarding disorder include:
- Clutter in living spaces, stopping you from being able to cook, sleep or wash
- Difficulty discarding items to the point it is distressing
- Obtaining too many items to be able to get rid of them easily
- Clutter is so much it is distressing you or your family
- Clutter is impairing everyday quality of life
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines recommend cognitive behavioural therapy for hoarding disorder patients.
Clearing out possessions should only be done “if there is no other recourse” and if the patient agrees, because this can worsen their mental health.
Dr Morein said: “Labels can be very useful in the healthcare system and can be the first stage for people receiving the support they need.
“It is really important that doctors and other frontline healthcare professionals are aware that hoarding disorder is a diagnosable medical condition and that it is usually linked to other issues so that proper support can be offered.
“Typically, hoarding disorder is something that sneaks up on people – it doesn’t happen overnight – and people don’t necessarily recognise they have a problem.
“One of the major difficulties with hoarding disorder is that sufferers often don’t seek help themselves, and it only presents itself to medical professionals alongside other issues.
“The sooner the problem is spotted, the sooner support can be provided.”