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Hoarding among older people: an evaluative review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2016

Graham R. Thew  and
Paul M. Salkovskis
Graham R. Thew*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, UK
Paul M. Salkovskis
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, UK
*
*Author for correspondence: Dr G. R. Thew, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK. (email: graham.thew@psy.ox.ac.uk)
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Abstract

While there is considerable evidence that the factors involved in hoarding typically begin to manifest early in life (mostly in adolescence), the majority of those sampled in research studies are in their later years. As so much of our understanding of the psychological factors involved in hoarding is derived from those who are older and more chronically affected, the core hoarding psychopathology may have been masked, overlaid or even disregarded in previous research and in our approaches to clinical intervention. That is, factors relating primarily to chronicity of the problem and feelings of demoralization, hopelessness, loss and the extent of the damage caused to the person's life may swamp the processes which led to and maintain the problem. The present review examines the extent to which this is so and considers theoretical and clinical implications. The literature relevant to hoarding in later life was reviewed evaluatively in relation to a number of questions placing hoarding in a lifespan developmental context. Many studies relied on purely descriptive methodologies, meaning that typical case presentations and case histories are well documented, with less attention paid to underlying causal and maintaining mechanisms. Efforts to identify and control for factors relating to age or problem chronicity were minimal. A key future direction is the identification of younger samples of people who hoard in order to identify more clearly the processes which drive acquisition and retention of excessive amounts of material.

Keywords

Ageinghoardingolder adultsreview
Type
Review
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 9 , 2016 , e32
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2016 

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References

Recommended follow-up reading

Gordon, OM, Salkovskis, PM, Oldfield, VB (2013). Beliefs and experiences in hoarding. Journal of Anxiety Disorders 27, 328–339.Google Scholar
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Jorm, AF (2000). Does old age reduce the risk of anxiety and depression? A review of epidemiological studies across the adult life span. Psychological Medicine 30, 11–22.Google Scholar

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