(PS7-C54) Examining the Relationship Between Hoarding Behaviors and Obsessive-compulsive Personality Disorder Traits

Background: Hoarding disorder is defined as a persistent difficulty discarding possessions regardless of their actual value resulting in an accumulation of possessions that is so excessive as to inhibit the use of some parts of the home for routine domestic activities (APA, 2013). There has been a historical link between hoarding and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD; Mataix-Cols et al., 2010), and high rates of OCPD have been reported in individuals with hoarding disorders (Samuels et al., 2002; Landau et al., 2011). However, limited research has examined hoarding behaviors in relation to specific OCPD traits. Indeed, although studies have linked perfectionism to hoarding problems (Frost & Gross, 1993; Pinto et al., 2017; Timpano et al., 2011), OCPD traits like rigidity, reluctance to delegate and emotional overcontrol remain unexplored. Thus, the current study aims to examine the ways in which hoarding behaviors are associated with OCPD traits.

Methods: A total of 199 clinical participants were recruited as part of a larger study on OC spectrum and anxiety disorders. The Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5 was used to diagnose participants. Participants completed the following measures: Hoarding Rating Scale-Interview, Savings Inventory-Revised (SI-R), and Pathological Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (POPS). The SI-R assesses hoarding behaviors including excessive clutter, difficulty discarding, and excessive acquisition (Frost et al., 2004). The POPS assesses five OCPD traits: difficulty with change, emotional over-control, rigidity, maladaptive perfectionism, and reluctance to delegate (Pinto et al., 2011).

Results:  Preliminary analyses were conducted to examine the extent to which different areas of hoarding behaviors are associated with different OCPD traits. Maladaptive perfectionism was significantly correlated with hoarding severity (r= .22, p= .003) and all subscales of hoarding behaviors, including clutter (r= .33, p< .001), difficulty discarding (r= .31, p< .001), and acquisition behaviors (r= .18, p= .02). Furthermore, the OCPD traits of difficulty with change (r=.15, p=.05), emotional over-control (r= .19, p= .01), and rigidity (r= .16, p= .03) were significantly associated with excessive acquisition, but not other kinds of behavior in hoarding.

Conclusion: In OC spectrum and anxiety disorder participants, certain kinds of hoarding behaviors are associated with certain OCPD traits. Consistent with prior studies, maladaptive perfectionism is a common underlying trait in individuals with hoarding behaviors and should be targeted in treatment. The traits of difficulty with change, emotional over-control, and rigidity are also present in individuals with excessive acquisition behaviors.