Hoarding Behaviour in an Italian Non-Clinical Sample

Authors

Francesco Bulli, Institute of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy
Gabriele Melli, Institute of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy
Claudia Carraresi, Institute of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy
Eleonora Stopani, Institute of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy
Alberto Pertusa, King's College London
Randy O. Frost, Smith CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2014

Publication Title

Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

Abstract

Background: Hoarding is associated with significant impairment. Although traditionally considered as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), some authors have proposed that pathological hoarding could be considered as a stand alone condition. The prevalence of pathological hoarding behaviour has been shown to be high in some countries, but little is known about the prevalence and correlates of hoarding in the non-clinical population in Italy. Method: We studied the prevalence of self-reported hoarding behaviour using the Italian version of the Saving Inventory-Revised, as well as the association between hoarding and various clinical correlates, including obsessive-compulsive symptoms, compulsive buying, anxiety, and depression. Results: The prevalence of pathological hoarding behaviour in two studies was between 3.7 and 6.0%. No differences were found between hoarding and non-hoarding participants with regard to gender, age, marital status, level of education, and employment status. Significant correlations were found between compulsive hoarding and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and also between hoarding and a measure of compulsive buying, even after controlling for anxiety and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: These results indicate that pathological hoarding may also be prevalent in Italy and highlight the need for further epidemiological studies using validated instruments to assess hoarding disorder.

Keywords

epidemiology, Hoarding, obsessive-compulsive disorder, prevalence, Saving Inventory-Revised

Volume

42

Issue

3

First Page

297

Last Page

311

DOI

10.1017/S1352465812001105

ISSN

13524658

Rights

Copyright © 2013 British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies.

Comments

Archived as published.

Recommended Citation

Bulli, Francesco; Melli, Gabriele; Carraresi, Claudia; Stopani, Eleonora; Pertusa, Alberto; and Frost, Randy O., "Hoarding Behaviour in an Italian Non-Clinical Sample" (2014). Psychology: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/psy_facpubs/42